Divisions will lie ahead (Robert Smith)
Could I take this opportunity to thank all the people who voted for me and also those that while supporting Ukip, tactically voted Liberal Democrat. The SNP are smug enough with 56 seats.
In my letter of thanks in 2010 I made an eerily accurate prediction that the Lib Dems would be wiped out this time so, to keep up the tradition, here are my thoughts on the future for the SNP.
While they gained a quantity of MPs, the quality may be found wanting and the possibility arises that Scotland becomes a laughing stock in Westminster.
That said, Cameron – politically – will have to make some serious concessions to Scotland, probably in the form of full fiscal autonomy. This will be a good tactic with the intention of giving the SNP enough rope to hang themselves but will certainly backfire.
When Holyrood makes the inevitable royal haggis of the economy and Scotland goes down the tubes while England prospers, the SNP will blame Westminster.
They will be supported in this tale by all the usual suspects in Scotland’s media, academia and institutions in the same mould as the “blame the bankers” nonsense.
The result will be mounting division and resentment and who knows where it will lead. It could be nasty. I hope I’m wrong.
Robert Smith
Ukip candidate
Shoreside,
South Ronaldsay,
Orkney.
Johan Adamson
Why do you assume young Scots and new MPs will muck all this up?
Robert Smith
Because that is their intention.
Robin Stevenson
How admirable Robert, not only have you been unable to bring yourself to congratulate Ali Carmichael but, [according to you] the Lib/Dems “Tactically” stole your votes and voted for them?
So now we’re subjected to a bitter losers insight into the future of a party that he finds repugnant, the SNP? Holyrood has [to date] made such a “Royal haggis” of Scotlands economy that the people of Scotland gave them a majority government in Scotland and 95% of our MPs in Westminster?…It’d be quite laughable if it wasn’t a pathetic demonstration of soor grapes.
The only sensible comment in your drivel is “I hope I’m wrong”. Luckily for you I’ll give you my insight of my very own,…. “You are”.
Robert Smith
My Robin, what an outburst.
I’ll leave your childish remarks to one side and address the only point worth a response.
It was probably remiss of me not to congratulate Alistair in my letter indeed and I have to admit that post election etiquette isn’t my strong point. I must confess to caring not a jot.
I did however congratulate Alistair on another forum and I don’t think he needs to hear it twice.
Brian Smith
The fact that the UKIP group who fill the Shetland Times site is so obsessed with the SNP probably contributed to the SNP’s success on Thursday.
laurence paton
Brian you suggest there is a UKIP group obsessed with the SNP who filled these forums.
As a regular reader yet one of the more occasional commentators I feel your comment is inaccurate.
Firstly very few of the small group who regularly wrote & continue to write against the SNP ever revealed who they would be voting for.
For the record I did vote for UKIP and I am not obsessed with the SNP.
In fact at the Referendum I was a potential YES voter but after reading Salmond’s statement ” we will take our place at the Brussels table” I could only vote NO as I realised the independence campaign was a complete con.
My total distrust with the Brussel’s supranational government developed over career as a fisherman during which I personally dumped hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fish back into the sea to avoid prosecution.
I left that industry in debt and with our boat sent to the scrapyard.
The Shetland fishing industry was a model of socialist endeavour of which you would have been proud . Hard working men all taking home an equal pay after a week of honest work , the cook’s pay the same as the skipper.
The C.F.P will slowly but surely take the industry out of the hands of the common man.
What do you love about an undemocratic & corrupt overseas politburo controlling agriculture, fisheries etc, etc ?
I agree with the SNP on nuclear weapons
Stan Groundwater
Buey, we go back a bit and agree on some things, but you can speak a goodly pile of tosh on occasions. The political disharmony and more fractious exchanges have already started and did so several decades ago and seem to be escalated almost daily by the extreme on both sides of the argument, you are no exception. To promote yourself as a predictor of the future is false, it is merely a statement of the present not a prediction of the future. The political arena with which we are now burdened is a direct result of the lies and acrimonious allegations made by all the NO campaigners during the debacle last September, the lies spouted forth at that point did not dissipate in the wind, they simply went around the globe and came back to haunt.
Miraculous turnaround by Farage, another stunt and no doubt brought about by the undying love of the party rather than self interest. God, send a politician with credibility.
Robert Smith
Nah Stan, you can’t get away with that. I’m predicting full fiscal autonomy, collapse of the Scottish economy and the SNP blaming Westminster. Hardly what we see today.
As for Farage, he tendered his resignation but the party refused. I was asked and voted he stayed. The vote was overwhelming so no conspiracy involved.
Rachel Buchan
This sounds very much like sour grapes to me.
Robert Smith
Not at all, just having some fun annoying the SNP and making some predictions. I was right last time. 🙂
Charles Tait
There is in fact no evidence that the SNP will make a mess of the economy because they are at heart cautious and conservative. In fact they have run a tight ship, maybe too tight. Their biggest failure has been in infrastucture investment and in utterly failing to understand business. So called full fiscal autonomy will either lead to higher taxes or a very severe public spending squeeze or both. But behind closed doors Sturgeon and Cameron will get on very well since both are essentially liberal conservatives, though the former pretents to be a red socialist and the latter makes out that his blood is cobalt blue. They bothe want the best for the country and the people, unlike so many politicains. So I predict that this will be a successful parliament. The Tories have a tiny majority which will likely get smaller as byelections let in UKIP, Liberals, even Greens as appropriate for the seat. In Scotland I do not expect such an SNP surge and the may even be more Toties in 2016 from the vote percentage.
laurence paton
In the run up to the election the mainstream establishment media machine ran at full tilt to discredit UKIP more than any other party.
The final televised leaders debate, Farage was not invited to take part , even though his party had won the most recent national election ( the European election) and consistenlty polling twice that of the lib dems.
He did get his own show but much later at night (further negative effect) and only showed in England
We only have the illusion of democracy , granted its better that North Korea or Saudi Arabia but it’s still rubbish.
Robert Duncan
It baffles me that UKIP’s bleating about BBC bias goes so often unopposed. They are hugely OVER-represented on shows such as Question Time, appearing more often than similarly sized parties combined. The leader debates were a nonsense, and there perhaps is a fair argument that the Lib Dems should not have been included, but the party more than made up for it with Farage getting his own show (later or not, it was broadcast at politics-primetime, directly after the news).
I think there is a reasonable case that wall-to-wall media coverage, especially by the BBC, actually contributed to the growth of the UKIP vote in recent years, before it fell away again. They had almost no support in Scotland prior to the European election campaign – polling comparably to the Scottish Greens. A few months later, with constant coverage of their exploits elsewhere in the country, they had risen to a level sufficient to have David Cockburn elected as MEP.
iantinkler
I think we can all be pretty sure that Sturgeon replacing Salmond was a huge boost to the SNP. Nicola managed the entire campaign well, with none of the Salmond sneering, derogatory jokes putting people down and obnoxious arrogance that so befits him. As long as the SNP can keep Salmond’s muzzle on, the next Scottish election may be interesting for Tavish. He has spent so long sitting on the fence, I have little idea what he actually stands for. I voted tactically for Ali, I would have trouble doing that for Tavish. Perhaps his best hope would be having Johnathon W standing for the SNP! If that were so Tavish would be my man (truly any port in a storm).
Johan Adamson
Ian, this is a day to note in the diary when you have actually said something good about someone? With Salmond, is there no a bit of Pot and Kettle here? I wouldnt be able to vote for Wills unless there was a u turn on VE.
John Tulloch
Well, there you go! It’s all settled then, Jonathan is standing down from the SIC and taking on Holyrood for the SNP. That explains a lot!
Mind you, I never took him for a “carpetbagger”? 🙂
iantinkler
Johan, Pots an Kettles are a matter of opinion. I just tell the truth as I see it. Have a look at Facebook Shetland Yes, That is an eye opener of filth and disinformation for those with a strong stomach, that is a level I would not even stoop to, nor you I hope. Wills is a frequent contributor!! .
laurence paton
Robert Duncan, ” the growth of the UKIP vote in recent years, before it fell away again. ”
Your statement is completely wrong , see this link http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-map-that-shows-how-ukip-took-british-politics-by-storm-10250989.html?origin=internalSearch
In fact they came second in 118 constituencies across the country.
This is our democratic situation
http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2015/05/with-56-snps-and-just-one-ukip-mp-how-can-the-commons-reflect-the-uks-political-will/
I will rephrase my previous question for you ( if this paper allows it)
What is the benefit of having an undemocratic & corrupt overseas politburo controlling agriculture, fisheries and several other areas of legislation ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fxgdb-M2fk
Robert Duncan
Laurence, there is no question the UKIP vote fell away from an earlier peak. They received more votes in the European elections in 2014, despite the vastly deflated turnout. They polled almost twice their actual vote at times in 2014. People who said they would vote UKIP eventually reverted back to more “traditional” choices, particularly the Conservatives.
laurence paton
Ok Robert ,
I agree the number of votes has fallen compared to the Euro elections but the trend for national elections , excluding the euro elections, is clearly showing a rise second only to that of the SNP.
Apart from one instance where Jonathan Wills admitted that Scottish Independence was a misnomer in view of the ultimate control by the Brussels parliament , most writers here and other’s with whom I have discussed democracy / independence under the E.U. they generally let that fact fly over their heads or don’t understand it.
Still UKIP’s growing presence have shaped the agenda and a referendum on EU membership is coming.
Perhaps UKIP will go the same way as the Liberal Democrats after that event or like the SNP they may not.
We shall just have to wait and see, and also you nor anybody else have ever answered my final question.
There is too much government and the huge level of taxes collected don’t filter through to our front line services because of that fact.
Robert Duncan
Yes, from 2010 to 2015, the UKIP vote grew considerably – I don’t dispute that, it is core to the point I was making above.
I’m not in this for an argument about the EU, I was responding to claims of BBC bias.
laurence paton
That’s fair enough Robert ,
I don’t view any of this comment making as having an argument, just debate and sharing one’s point of view.
Your unwillingness to share your point of view on democracy within the E.U. appears common amongst commentators on these discussion forum’s.
Robert Duncan
I am in principle pro-integration but would like to see significant reform. If that were not forthcoming I would be tempted to vote to leave. There’s no “unwillingness to share my point of view”, it was just irrelevant to the point I was making above.