I've only just seen the thread, so by no means am I trying to sidetrack its evolution, but the first post ranting about the SNP was completely off and it makes it sound like the OP doesn't really know anything about Scottish politics but decided to write about it anyways. Not everyone who votes SNP would actually vote for the SNP if an independent Scotland existed. For a significant amount of people (I can't say 100% certainty if it's a majority or simply a significant minority) the SNP are a vehicle towards independence, and not a reflection of the popularity of their policies. We're not all left-wing nutjobs, and we don't all dream of a nanny state. It's easy to forget that for a long time Scotland was a Conservative country and not a Labour country.
On a second point, we're not some subsidised layabout country, and our contribution to the UK is a surplus. Every year our allocated spending goes down despite us continuing to contribute substantially. The UK is very lucky the independence vote failed due to the older generations voting heavily against it.
And now that I've laid that out, the interesting point of current polls in Scotland is that it suggests the SNP could wipe out a majority of Labour seats in the country. Personally that would be great as I think Labour are a joke, and for once the forthcoming election may actually hinge on how many seats Labour can pick up in Scotland. It also depends on what happens in England, but from my own national perspective, if the SNP gain enough seats to influence the outcome of the overall UK government, we'll be in a real position to get more devolution and take a further step towards independence.
On a second point, we're not some subsidised layabout country, and our contribution to the UK is a surplus. Every year our allocated spending goes down despite us continuing to contribute substantially. The UK is very lucky the independence vote failed due to the older generations voting heavily against it.
And now that I've laid that out, the interesting point of current polls in Scotland is that it suggests the SNP could wipe out a majority of Labour seats in the country. Personally that would be great as I think Labour are a joke, and for once the forthcoming election may actually hinge on how many seats Labour can pick up in Scotland. It also depends on what happens in England, but from my own national perspective, if the SNP gain enough seats to influence the outcome of the overall UK government, we'll be in a real position to get more devolution and take a further step towards independence.