Nicola Sturgeon

[mikey4444]

I have heard Wee Nicky being interviewed by James Naughtie on the Today Program.

To be frank, I thought she gave a very good account of herself and her party, so is it any wonder that the SNP is doing so well north of the border ?

[ichkeria]

Jim's right. The Tory tactics are appalling. Done probably because they think they can claw back a few votes from UKIP and save seats in England. They actually want the SNP to do well and the SNP want the Tories to do well. Rather ironically. A Tory government will help the SNP's case for another referendum and it is very hard to see why the Tories think they would not be at the mercy of the SNP any more than Labour were they to be the largest party in Parliament trying to govern with a minority Lib Dem alliance.
It is in Labour's interests more probably NOT to break up the union as they would lose so many future potential seats (when the SNP bubble bursts).
And I see the latest tactic by the Tories is to scare the rich into thinking Sturgeon will pinch thie rmoney, while at the same time they refuse to even give a semi-serious indication about who THEY will steal from to make the cuts they would need to balance the books

[mikey4444]

Even the Tories friends in NI are complaining :::::

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/26/conservative-party-is-losing-our-support-over-scotland-warns-dup

The Tories are sleepwalking to the opposition benches.

[Hypognosis]

Mikey, would you agree she is on course to becoming the most influential unelected person/official since (fill in the blank)?

I hesitate to pick a timespan, as it either becomes hyperbole, if too long or risks missing out some famous names, if set too short. And you're the polito-pundit here. ;)

[ichkeria]

...slightly spolied by the words "warns DUP" (hope they don't get the Health portfolio in a Blukip Coalition lol) mikey
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-northern-ireland-32476991

[steg]

"can't you wait to break up and destroy the United Kingdom altogether"

8% of the UK leaving is hardly breaking up or destroying it, you will still have 92% left

[venator]

Yes Steg, but it won't be united any more. - we need a new title - any suggestions?

Not in the SDP manifesto, but Nicola must be planning to dump the Queen, gets back the stone of Scone and get herself crowned.

[steg]

No plans to "dump the queen"
unlike successive UK governments, the queen does an excellent job.

New title... Hmmm .... Just call it engerlund

[mikey4444]

Hypognosis...Wee Nicky is certainly on course to be the most important person in the next two weeks, together with Salmond of course. I suppose you could say she is the most influential since Cleggie in 2010, as he was the king maker then.

Electoral Calculus are currently giving the SNP 47 seats after the Election ::

http://electoralcalculus.co.uk/homepage.html

My personal view is that is a bit high. Maybe late 30's perhaps. But without a doubt, Scotland itself will be crucial in deciding who is in Number Ten !

We live in interesting times Hypognosis ! The most interesting in my adult, voting life, and I am including 1974 when I say that.

[jno]

mikey, it does strike me as odd that the Tories are going on about the SNP propping up Labour when they themselves have had quite a lot of support from the DUP in Northern Ireland for some years.

[mikey4444]

Yes, odd jno but not that surprising. In politics, you sometimes have to make strange bedfellows !

For instance, who would have predicted that the Liberals would be bosom buddies with the Tories, until it happened in 2010 ?

My opinion is that when it comes to the push and shove, Tory tongues will be looking for Unionist bums, just as they always have !

[solvitquick]

Pity Nicola Sturgeon is SNP. Otherwise, I think she would make a great PM (Labour). The Tories have only themselves to blame for promoting the SNP by bleeding Scotland white in favour of the South East of England. Remember how Mrs T wasted the oil-revenues and the earlier Tories dumped the nuclear dirty-work in Scotland (fair enough, never reversed by Labour).
SIQ

[Pete65]

"Pity Nicola Sturgeon is SNP"
Not at all.
The Party is very proud to have Nicola Sturgeon as leader and First Minister.

[Gavmacp]

I am Scottish though life in England. I have never supported the SNP and would of voted against independence. But the more the SNP get attacked the more likely, if able, I would vote for them!

[mikey4444]

And so the Party should Pete, after what I heard on Radio Four this morning.
I was impressed !

[Jackdaw33]

Before 1972 the NI Unionists at Westminster took the Tory whip.

'One Nation' does not refer to the UK as suck, it refers to the uniting of Disraeli's 'Two Nations', the rich and the poor.

[mikey4444]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-nation_conservatism

Its just as jack says. What a pity that the present Tory Party seems to have left it all behind.

[youngmafbog]

If Milliband gets into bed with Sturgeon you can kiss goodbye to the labour party for many years, and the UK in it's present form for ever. so be careful what yo uwish for Mickey.

She has one agenda only and it is not for the majority.

I say this through gritted teeth, but I would prefer Milliband to win outright than a coalition with the SNP.

I would also welcome a referendum given to the whole of the UK on whether we want Scotland in. The sooner the sweaties are sent on their way the better.

[Jackdaw33]

I agree with ymb, and I'm choking on my lunchtime G & T as I say it.

[mikey4444]

Who would have thought, when I started this thread at 08:37 this morning, that I would have two new converts to the Labour Party ! If I had thought it was going to this easy, I would have mentioned Wee Nicky ages ago !

[Jackdaw33]

I am no convert, but if the choice is to be between a Labour/SNP government and a Labour majority one then the latter is to be preferred as the lesser of two evils.