Blow for Scottish independence as Sturgeon resigns as First Minister

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,481
1,673
113
Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is resigning as Scotland's First Minister after more than eight years in the role.

The Scottish National Party leader said she knew "in my head and in my heart" this was the right time to step down.

Ms Sturgeon said she would remain in office until her successor was elected.

She is the longest-serving Scottish First Minister and the first woman to hold the position.

Ms Sturgeon insisted her resignation was not in response to the "latest period of pressure", which has included controversies over gender reforms, trans prisoners and the strategy on independence.

She acknowledged there had been "choppy waters", but said her decision had come from "a deeper and longer-term assessment".

Former First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond, who lost the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum and who now leads the Alba Party, said he felt for Ms Sturgeon personally - but that there was no obvious successor and no clear strategy for independence.

 

The_Foxer

House Member
Aug 9, 2022
3,084
1,837
113
Also - i'm not quite sure i fully understand why the scots want independence. I get they're more on the left wing spectrum from britian but honestly looking at it as an observer it seems at first glace it would leave them weaker, not stronger.
 

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,481
1,673
113
Insiders predict the Sturgeon will be replaced as First Minister by a Sea Bass.

Her predecessor was Salmond.

Unfortunately, there's no fishy candidate in the running this time around.

The frontrunners to replace Sturgeon are Angus Robertson, Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and John Swinney, so Scotland may soon have its first Muslim leader.
 

Tecumsehsbones

Hall of Fame Member
Mar 18, 2013
55,802
7,177
113
Washington DC
Her predecessor was Salmond.

Unfortunately, there's no fishy candidate in the running this time around.

The frontrunners to replace Sturgeon are Angus Robertson, Kate Forbes, Humza Yousaf and John Swinney, so Scotland may soon have its first Muslim leader.
Scots are fucking weird.

In case their tastes in dress, cuisine, music, and sport left you in any doubt.
 

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,481
1,673
113
Dung beetle might taste delicious. There are just some things I will never know.

haggis-blog.jpg

I had the Simon Howie haggis.

You can either slice it and fry it, keep it in its casing and place it in an oven dish with boiling water and cook it in the oven, or remove the casing and metal clips and cook it in the microwave. I've had it a few times and it's delicious.

Haggis is even nicer, though, when served up the traditional way - with "neeps and tatties" - turnips or swedes and potatoes.
 

Ron in Regina

"Voice of the West" Party
Apr 9, 2008
23,490
8,234
113
Regina, Saskatchewan
Nicola Sturgeon has announced she is resigning as Scotland's First Minister after more than eight years in the role.

The Scottish National Party leader said she knew "in my head and in my heart" this was the right time to step down.

Ms Sturgeon said she would remain in office until her successor was elected.

She is the longest-serving Scottish First Minister and the first woman to hold the position.

Ms Sturgeon insisted her resignation was not in response to the "latest period of pressure", which has included controversies over gender reforms, trans prisoners and the strategy on independence.

She acknowledged there had been "choppy waters", but said her decision had come from "a deeper and longer-term assessment".

Former First Minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond, who lost the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum and who now leads the Alba Party, said he felt for Ms Sturgeon personally - but that there was no obvious successor and no clear strategy for independence.

Well, here’s a twist from the outside looking in:
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has resigned after failing to pass a divisive gender reform law that would’ve allowed biological male rapists into women’s prisons with minimal oversight. Sturgeon’s political implosion shows that, though many people rightfully support reasonable accommodations for transgender people, there is limited appetite for reckless policies that endanger women.

Sturgeon responded to her critics by calling them bigots and said that many of them were transphobic, homophobic, misogynistic and possibly racist, too.

Now Sturgeon’s political career is dead, and, though that may not be fun for her, this abrupt self-immolation can at least provide some useful lessons for everyone else.

It’s possible, indeed morally necessary, to find reasonable accommodations for trans people that give them a chance to flourish like everyone else. That requires handling tricky subjects, like women’s prisons, with caution and sensitivity. When politicians ignore the relevance of biological sex, and incautiously pursue radical policies that bulldoze over competing rights and interests, no one benefits.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The_Foxer

The_Foxer

House Member
Aug 9, 2022
3,084
1,837
113
View attachment 17363

I had the Simon Howie haggis.

You can either slice it and fry it, keep it in its casing and place it in an oven dish with boiling water and cook it in the oven, or remove the casing and metal clips and cook it in the microwave. I've had it a few times and it's delicious.

Haggis is even nicer, though, when served up the traditional way - with "neeps and tatties" - turnips or swedes and potatoes.
How the hell can you have vegetarian haggis?
 

The_Foxer

House Member
Aug 9, 2022
3,084
1,837
113
though many people rightfully support reasonable accommodations for transgender people, there is limited appetite for reckless policies that endanger women.
That is indeed a lesson for all. Lots of people have sympathy for trans people and their condition ,but there is a limit to 'accommodating' a serious illness.
 

Dexter Sinister

Unspecified Specialist
Oct 1, 2004
10,168
536
113
Regina, SK
Also - i'm not quite sure i fully understand why the scots want independence. I get they're more on the left wing spectrum from britian but honestly looking at it as an observer it seems at first glace it would leave them weaker, not stronger
I don't get it either. I was in Scotland in 2014 while the referendum campaign was going on, read all the newspapers and talked to all the available people about it--cab drivers, bus drivers, people chance met in pubs, tourist guides, neighbours where we stayed in Glasgow and Edinburgh--and they didn't seem to have a clear idea about it either. Near as I could figure it, it seemed to be about the degree of centralized control exercised from London, in which case some kind of devolution of powers, something like the Canadian federation, was a better idea. Splitting up seemed to me much the worst idea at a time when the world is becoming increasingly interconnected and co-dependent. Not that the Canadian federation is working like a charm these days either, but I think the principle is a good idea in a place with such varied regional interests and issues, just needs a little better sense than the current crop of leaders is displaying. That's probably the triumph of hope over experience, but I like to be optimistic.
Scots are fucking weird.

In case their tastes in dress, cuisine, music, and sport left you in any doubt.
Have some respect, it was the Scots who built this country, and in fact much of the old British Empire, though I grant you we've generally done a better job with dress, cuisine, music, and sport, than they have. Not that it was hard, though there are still people here who wear kilts, eat haggis, play bagpipes, and toss cabers. They do make some pretty nice whisky though. And some my palate finds staggeringly awful, like Laphroiag, Bowmore and Lagavulin; imagine drinking an infusion of the hot ashes of a fire made with wood soaked in diesel oil and iodine.