In the H&I List contest, *everybody* deserves a fair hearing at hustings, without being subject to online intimidation or abuse. The beauty of democracy is you can express your views through a vote, you don't need to denigrate candidates online. I say that as a candidate.
— Kate Forbes MSP (@KateForbesMSP) February 19, 2021
I don't know exactly what this refers to, but if anyone has been subject to abuse, that's wrong and should stop. But I'd just gently point out to the SNP leadership that the true beauty of democracy is that the winner is determined by votes, not diktats.https://t.co/qhM99ri555
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) February 20, 2021
The irony is that if the person with the most votes is not going to be declared the winner, then the advantage of democracy Kate identifies does not actually apply in this case, and voicing frustration on social media is all the voters really have left.
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) February 20, 2021
absolutely...so many of the problems could be prevented by following the basic principles of fairness, consistency and transparency. Ms Spear isn’t to blame...surely it’s those administering the processes?
— Stand Free⭐️⭐️ (@ScottyC1314) February 20, 2021
There are *two* problems with the stitch-up of the list rankings: a) the anti-democratic element, and b) the shocking lack of transparency.
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) February 20, 2021
Members have a right to be told, at the time they cast their votes, that they will not be deciding the top-placed ranking. They should also be informed which candidates have declared themselves as belonging to a protected category. This is basic stuff: why is it not happening?
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) February 20, 2021
Spot on, James. Sadly, the SNP doesn't appear to understand the concept of democracy these days, never mind implement it.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the point of head office sending out to members candidate lists with dozens of entries, as they did last week.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy, members can choose which they prefer to be no. 1 2 3 4 etcetera for the 2nd vote. in their region. Unlike all the other parties where the head bummers pick them.
Delete"members can choose which they prefer to be no. 1 2 3 4"
DeleteBut they can't choose who they want to be no. 1, that's the whole point.
Completely agree James
ReplyDeleteAs i said on a previous thread, the answer is simple.
ReplyDeleteEvery candidate should self-id as disabled or BAME or both.
With your flippant remark Juteman, you clearly don't care about Bame or genuinely disabled SNP members. Crass.
Delete@ramstam.
DeleteI believe in democracy. The candidate with the most votes should win.
Just for your info ramstam, i'm disabled myself.
DeleteThis mess has finally tipped me over the edge. My first ever vote was Yes in the 1979 referendum. I've voted SNP ever since.
DeleteMy 2nd vote will not be going to the SNP unless they give a date for Indy2 in their manifesto.
Juteman, You miss my point. How can it be fair that so few disabled/Bame folk get into Holyrood?
DeleteOn my regional list I can still choose between the candidates available, and I consider this mechanism as a one-off.
BTW the SNP are not likely to have many list MSPS anyway, so the underrepresentation of these groups is likely to go on for another 5 years. Why?
Because SNP members did not value Bame/disabled folk when they selected constituency SNP candidates.
Either negative discrimination or they just weren't good enough?
Which do you think? And can you be sure.
If you are good enough, you are good enough.
DeleteDoesn't matter if you have 3 legs, a man in a dress with a beard, or an average person. Let the winner of an open vote be elected.
"Which do you think?" I don't agree that SNP members are racist because somebody did sums based on some characteristics of politicians and decided there weren't enough of whatever.
DeleteInjecting explicit racism into the selection rules is absolutely the the opposite of the solution to this claimed problem though. On the positive side, at least voters can signal their objection by not voting for candidates who signed up for a privileged status in an explicitly racist process.
We are not having election night this year. At least we won't end up with a sort of electoral jet lag the next day. As the BBC and STV have never done any Scottish Parliament exit polls in the past it may take a day late this year to see the way the voters have decided. The broadcast media might just do a poll but those are not as accurate as exit polls.
ReplyDeleteEffectively this has happened once before in 2007 due to the technological meltdown. With the closeness of the result, we didn't know the SNP had won until close to 6pm on the day after polling.
DeleteThe difference this time unlike 2007 we didn't have to watch TV all night and then the next day. We get some rest this year.
DeleteThe offending material against the woman called Spear on twitter was indeed very nasty. It says more about the person promoting it. Totally uncalled for. I don't have an opinion on the target of the hate.
ReplyDeleteJames, very impressed once again with your article. As I said before you are on a roll with your articles.
ReplyDeletePutting your placemen in to positions and getting rid of any possible opposition is straight from the authoritarian playbook. This is not the SNP I have voted for in the past and is not acceptable to me. It is just not good enough to say the Britnats are worse. Is this the best we can do? If nothing changes after May 2021 then that will be the last time I give my vote to the SNP.
I do hope you are not implying disabled and / or BAME people are 'authoritarian placemen' who are 'worse than British nationalists'? Some sort of evil army out to destroy democracy?
DeleteI get the stupidity of the supposed system, but not the Nazi 'BAME / ethnic minorities are dangerous' type talk.
It's well intentioned idiocy likely to go belly up, that's all.
Smeared Skier (liar since 2014) - I never said anything about " Nazi 'BAME / ethnic minorities are dangerous " - so once again you are lying or are out of your head on drugs or just really, really cannot read well.
DeleteI never said "worse than British Nationalists" so once again you are lying or out of your head on drugs or really, really cannot read well
Either way just pissof with your nonsense. You mad stalker.
Putting your placemen in to positions and getting rid of any possible opposition is straight from the authoritarian playbook.
DeleteSorry, so to clarify, you are saying positive discrimination on the SNP list for disabled and BAME definitely wouldn't be the above?
If not, why did you mention this in relation to James's article which is about the positive discrimination issue?
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) - sorry to clarify - are you lying or out of your head on drugs or just a really, really bad reader.
DeleteI can post on what I want without your permission Smearer - your arrogance is unbelievable - it's James Kelly's site and he is the person who decides on each post - NOT YOU!
Sorry, so to clarify, you are saying positive discrimination on the SNP list for disabled and BAME definitely wouldn't be the above?
DeleteTotally agree with Katie Forbes. She shows the quality of SNP candidates. Wise words from her and Cherry recently about not being abusive and making up unfounded allegations on social media.
ReplyDeleteI put Joan McAlpine top of my list ballot ranking and will vote SNP to support people like her.
I am a true supporter of McAlpine, Cherry etc as I will vote for them / their party not not lie that I back them while advocating a vote against them.
And while unionists go on about 'Salmond this and female willies that'....
https://archive.is/fZRBf
How EU migrant exodus is reshaping communities across the UK
...The Migration Observatory at Oxford university estimated that the UK’s foreign-born population shrank by 840,000 to 8.3m between the third quarter of 2019 and the third quarter of 2020. About 342,000 of those departing were born in the EU, reversing an influx that began in 2004. The UK’s EU-born population is now about 3.6m...
Likely an underestimate too. Other data suggests 1.3 million or more.
It's an unbelievable exodus of young skilled workers who will never return given the huge visa fees and collapsing economy as companies likewise depart en masse to the EU.
But you know, 'wheesht for the union'!
Smearer Skier (liar since 2014) - you must spend a fortune on brasso polishing that brass neck of yours.
DeleteYou are the most abusive person on SGP. Non stop lying and misrepresenting people's words and smearing, of course, your specialty. What a charlatan.
You attack my post for no reason, opening with abusive name calling, go on to throw a range of abusive insults at me, then call me abusive?
DeleteSmearer Skier (liar since 2014) - start a crowdfunder to fund your supply of brasso and I will chuck in a couple of quid.
Delete'smearer, brass neck, abusive, lying, misrepresenting, smearing, charlatan'.
DeleteLovely. I'm very glad it's not you in our democratic parliament with such language.
Smearer Skier ( liar since 2014) - good summary of your characteristics.
DeleteI'll repeat them for you - " smearer, brass neck, abusive, lying, misrepresenting, charlatan. Yep that pretty much sums you up.. no wait a minute hypocrite.
Think that is a good summary now. I got rid of the double smear comment in your summary and inserted hypocrite.
I won't vote for any candidate that was chosen based on ethnicity or disability, so I guess I might be abstaining on the list vote in May. I also wouldn't vote for a candidate that signed up for discrimination on characteristics but still won the selection vote.
ReplyDeleteAs I've said before on here, the missed chance to have more diverse representation wes lost when choosing SNP constituency candidates.
ReplyDeleteWho was to blame for that?
Some on here dinnae dae irony.
However I'm certainly not pleased with the dugs breakfast we as members have been presented with.
IMO Highland and South regions should have been exempt from this scheme as they already have popular sitting SNP list MSPs.
Fabiani writes to the Lord Advocate 3/2/2021. She is asking about the sharing and processing of documents with the Inquiry Committee.
ReplyDeleteLesley Fraser interim DG Organisational Development &Operations replies on behalf of the Lord Advocate on 8/2/2021.
Two key sentences from her reply.
"I can confirm that the process for selecting and redacting has been conducted in line with the approach already set out by the Permanent Secretary."
"As documents released to the Committee have been provided on behalf of the Scottish government , final approval for their release ( once collated and appropriately redacted per the above approach ) was sought from the Deputy First Minister."
So Evans set out the approach and Swinney has the final say. Both represent the Scottish government who are being investigated. So on what planet is this normal that the people being investigated get to control the evidence. Planet SNP/Scotgov that's what planet.
Just not acceptable. A party and a government on the wrong path.
Troll keeps trolling.
DeleteUnknown - the correspondence is on the Committee website. Fact.
DeleteSo you are the troll. Please remain unknown if that is all you have to contribute.
Aye, the attacks from unionists have turned fully upon Scotland's PR democratic institutions now. Since they've failed to have an impact simply attacking sturgeon, they then widended it to swinning then they entire SNP. All part of some grand elaborate conspiracy. Corrupt! Drain the swamp! Now they are attacking the very institution and its democratic processes.
ReplyDeleteIn May, they will attack the result, claiming election fraud, that Scots didn't really vote SNP etc. That the result should be overturned....
Wait and see.
'to Swinney then the entire SNP'
DeleteWatch out for the websites in England that claim to be pro-Scottish indy but don't provide details on how they are funded these days. Particularly those that pretty much never publish any anti-Tory / Brexit articles, but instead just attack Yes parties and now the institutions of Scottish democracy.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you will find them calling for key Yes figures to resign just ahead of May, as they've done before, then they will try to de-legitimize the result when it doesn't go their way.
Not too far from Cheltenham I would guess.
DeleteMarcia do you do anything else but drool over Smearer Skier (liar since 2014).
DeleteIt should be noted that political parties are the only organisations in the UK that are exempt from the human rights act and associated legislation. Hence, they can discriminate based on sex / skin colour / disability / sexual orientation, or anything else they feel like. Everyone else would be open to prosecution.
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling they are so disorientated they actually believe that policies of discrimination fight discrimination.
Being discriminatory,and undemocratic is called 'fascist' nowadays, as per Antifa.
ReplyDelete