The SNP while not right wing are slightly centre right.

Their policies are much more in line with Tory policies than Labour ones and to claim Labour are to the right of the SNP is just ludicrous.

In truth, Labour the SNP and Tories are different by small degrees and not large gaps but I would put the SNP to the right of Labour right now.

However, it's pretty clear that the Scottish voters don't want a socialist party or one with any great left leaning tendencies.

I don't think they have lost their Tartan Tory ideology while moving themselves into the enviable position as Scotlands number one party, take out independence and all I see is Tory lite. Mind you Parties follow the vote nowadays and not the other way round and so I don't think they can afford to be radical with any policy.

We shall see if Im right when, or if, they start to use more of those new powers though again, I would suspect there won't be anything radical except the announcements.

So despite claiming the Council tax had to be changed they adopted the Tory slant on it and now its acceptable?

Despite arguing against Tory tax cuts they adopt the same tax rates and thats acceptable to zealous SNP supporters?

It seems that policies are right wing until the SNP adopt them

Then there are so many policies quietly dropped and forgotten about.

Class sizes, never delivered.
Student debt relief, never delivered.
First time buyers grant of £2000 never delivered.

Then theres the disastrous free tuition fees for middle class families, funded at the expense of 140000 college places where traditionally poorer students would go.

A real time reduction of 1% in the NHS budget while NHS Englands budget is increased.

Midlife health checks at 40, billed as Life begins, never delivered.

Councils being able to share in the local taxes raised through business rates, not delivered but promised in 2011.

Of course there are more social policies promised but never delivered as the SNP opt for their own version of Tory lite policy.

First of all a socialist party of far left leaning government isn't really possible in Scotland because the powers that would allow for such a fundamental change in the way your economy and tax system work are not available to any Scottish Government.

Also to claim the SNP are centre right is probably only possible if take a couple of policies in isolation, council tax and air passenger duty for example and ignore the other more centre and centre left policies that outnumber the centre right ones.

The Scottish Government does not have the power to transform Scotland but what they appear to be doing is attempting to keep Scotland from being dragged to the right by Westminster. The sad fact is that the most we can really hope from Holyrood going forward is to mitigate the policies coming from Westminster and halt, as much as possible with the limited powers available, the drag to the right.

BIB - or a cut in corporation tax or a cut in tax for higher rate taxpayers...

I think you're trying to talk down the powers the Scottish government have... they have control over income tax and can make signifacant changes to welfare. As we know though the SNP see everything through the prism of independence and they're not going to rock the boat...

You seem keen to let the SNP of the hook...

They have no control over corporation tax and have not cut tax for the highest earners. The SNP asks that the highest earners in Scotland pay more than anyone else across the UK. It's not left wing socialism but neither is it certain right.

Yes but the one tax policy in the White Paper was too cut corporation tax.

As a higher rate tax payers is my income tax going up, staying the same or going down this tax year... I tell you, it's the latter.

With the aim of growing the economy and attracting business, not to help out the wealthiest. Still I would criticise this policy as I think it would attract the wrong kind of companies however I do appreciate the intention behind.


You're earning over 150k. Well done there's not many of you. You'll be gutted Strugeon has chosen not to pass on the tax cut other high earners across the UK will enjoy. I hope she puts it up a bit in the years to come.

Or a race to the bottom... Tories cut corporation tax bad and SNP do it good.


Nope a higher rate tax payers earning say 80k will pay less income tax this year than last year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...iness-37347990


Fraser of Allander: Scotland's budget 'could face £1.6bn cut

Realistic ?

I see you agree in the main with what I said then, that the SNP are only different by small degrees from the other Parties and are more in line with Tory than Labour thinking.

I know its just wordplay but the SNP are slightly right of centre and just a wee bit left of the Tories. The Tories aren't a far right party that you ascribe to them.

Your consistent refusal to acknowledge this says volumes about the stance of a lot of SNP followers who continually overlook their own governments policies as benefiting the middle in society while claiming they are changing things for the lowest.

Where are all those social democratic policies? Why were all the promises not delivered?

I think that Sturgeon fire all of her guns at once and has made a bit of a fool of herself over Brexit and separation from the UK. I can only assume that her silence on both subjects is intended to allow people time to forget what she actually said before she starts her next poorly informed rant. It does not really matter at the end of the day though because her nationalist movement is driven by sectarianism and bigotry more than sound economic planning.

There is no evidence that proves that a remainer in the recent EU in/out referendum is a definite indy supporter, nor that a unionist supporter was a definite leaver or vice versa.

Agree with you. She made a total fool of herself and only succeeded in alienating Scottish voters who wanted out of the EU by her constant "Scotland wants to stay in the EU " statements. She seemed to bank on the anger and feeling about the EU ref results resulting in a boost for her Independence drive, this has not been the case, and the polls have hardly moved. Yes some may have changed their opinion and want to now vote yes to Indpendence in the hopes of staying or re-joining the EU, but I think this is cancelled out by many more who want out of the EU and would if it came to it chose the UK over the EU.

if anything the reverse

if you look at the key reasons given for voting NO 2 years ago, they were all about stability, not taking a risk with the economy and not making a leap into the unknown

very similar to alot of the reasons people gave for supporting remain

I don't agree I'm just pointing out that in areas like education and health, yes the SNP have taken a different route that is undoubtedly left of centre. There's nothing left wing about asking the poorest members of society to take on debts of 40,000 as is the case down south and the SNP has refused to go down that route maintaining the principle of universal social security. They know that to move away from this model is a centre right solution that will lead to the wealthiest asking why they are subsidising the poor. If you look at the outrage from the unionist parties about the plans to redistribute wealth from the wealthiest council districts to help put more money into the poorest schools you can imagine what would happen if the SNP were to listen to Labour, tack right and ask the middle class to pay the same level of taxation they currently pay alongside tuition fee's. However on many area's there is little the SNP can do. Fiscally income tax is never going to raise much money alone and the SNP and a penny on the pound for every is much less unfair than taking more from the wealthiest via council tax.


They've got a couple of policies that may, at a push, be described as centre right when taken out of context however I don't think there's any discussion being had amongst serious individuals that the SNP are centre right, you guys can have that discussion amongst yourselves on here though.


The policies are aimed at delivering for the society as a whole and that is what social democratic parties do. The idea that they need to focus on policies on one section of society at the expense of every other section of society is stupidity. The idea that their policies are not social democratic, again is silly. Their flagship policies and also their mitigative policies are social democratic in nature. I don't know what promises the SNP made you but they have delivered far more effective government than administration in Holyrood's lifespan.

Health and Education have always been run very differently in Scotland than the rUK, what specifically have the SNP done that's been left of centre.

Salmond says that Sturgeon should leave no stone unturned in blocking Brexit. Indeed it is bestowed on her as leader that she should do.

This is going to be fun.

Good to see Salmond doesn't want to recognise the result of a democratic referendum...

They are committed to maintaining and comprehensive education despite the moves toward grammar schools from the Tories and academy schools from Labour. They have reversed Labour's endowment policy and restored the principal of free education, a great Scottish tradition.

Unless the bloody Jocks go, in which case he will.

Both are failing spectacularly - that is what is different, and nothing to do with us.

We didn't have Grammar schools when they last existed... as I said our health and education departments have always been very different, even before we had the Scottish parliament.

So rather than what they haven't done, what are all of these left of centre policies.

The tradition which gives you the worse school results in the UK?

Does it really? Can you explain on what measure we have the worst school results? We are one of, if not the most highly educated nations in Europe. Also could please show me the courtesy of refraining from replying to my posts. I told you before I don't want to have to engage with you.