The Scottish Government will need a new civil service boss, Harland and Wolff is sold to the Spanish and the Ministry of Defence wants a 50 per cent budget increase
I argued previously that the formation of a non-SNP government in 2026 would likely require some form of co-operation (however unspoken) between Labour and the Tories. On those figures, Reform on 12% would likely hold the balance between the existing three pro-Union parties on 44% and the pro-Independence parties on 40%. (That's using the regional vote shares which is what will determine the seat allocations.)
It will be very interesting to see how far relations between Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives reflect what’s going on at Westminster. By May 2026 the government will be approaching the middle of the Parliament and may be suffering the kind of slump that many administrations do, so there may not be much amity and fellow-feeling in Western. But perhaps Anas Sarwar and Russell Findlay can stand aside from that. Genuinely can’t predict.
Forbes social conservatism makes me wonder that if Scotland fit ever choose independence would the SNP in an Independent Scotland split into a conservative SNP and a progressive SNP
I think there would be a huge reordering. The SNP is held together by wanting independence. Although it's now broadly a party of the progressive left, it's always had more conservative elements, especially in the rural parts of Scotland, and when the Nationalists had to challenge Conservatives they were often mocked as "Tartan Tories". So, yes, I think if independence were achieved and therefore taken off the table, there would be a broad re-ordering of the political landscape.
I argued previously that the formation of a non-SNP government in 2026 would likely require some form of co-operation (however unspoken) between Labour and the Tories. On those figures, Reform on 12% would likely hold the balance between the existing three pro-Union parties on 44% and the pro-Independence parties on 40%. (That's using the regional vote shares which is what will determine the seat allocations.)
It will be very interesting to see how far relations between Scottish Labour and the Scottish Conservatives reflect what’s going on at Westminster. By May 2026 the government will be approaching the middle of the Parliament and may be suffering the kind of slump that many administrations do, so there may not be much amity and fellow-feeling in Western. But perhaps Anas Sarwar and Russell Findlay can stand aside from that. Genuinely can’t predict.
Forbes social conservatism makes me wonder that if Scotland fit ever choose independence would the SNP in an Independent Scotland split into a conservative SNP and a progressive SNP
I think there would be a huge reordering. The SNP is held together by wanting independence. Although it's now broadly a party of the progressive left, it's always had more conservative elements, especially in the rural parts of Scotland, and when the Nationalists had to challenge Conservatives they were often mocked as "Tartan Tories". So, yes, I think if independence were achieved and therefore taken off the table, there would be a broad re-ordering of the political landscape.