I don’t recognise the SNP anymore.
Democracy was once sacred to the party, now I barely even hear the word.
Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has declared he will seek election as both a Member of Parliament in Westminster and a Member of the Scottish Parliament in the upcoming 2026 Holyrood Elections.
How will he have time to do his day job if he’s out campaigning for an election? How can he give his constituents the efforts of a full-time representative going between two parliaments?
Party members used to slag Douglas Ross for this. Two-face Dougie. Double-job Douglas.
Now it’s seat-hop Stephen.
Seriously, though, how can anyone argue that Stephen is acting in the best interest of his constituents? This is a clear political manoeuvre to increase the SNP's influence across multiple platforms.
Even setting aside the party's worry that leadership thinks the pool of talent already in Holyrood isn’t good enough, they’re actually willing to compromise the party’s values for an opportunistic PR stunt.
We’re only talking a few weeks ago, when it was revealed Nicola Sturgeon took 25 grand aff ITV for a tele appearance after previously going after Ruth Davidson for doing the exact same thing. Or even a week ago, when it was revealed Neil Gray’s slamming the equivalent of an Uber Exec on the taxpayer’s credit card when he fancies heading to an Aberdeen game.
Dinnae give me the nonsense about Ministerial duties. It would be different if he was using the chauffeur for a varied range of sporting events. If you’re going to the football every weekend, goan get a taxi out your own money. Especially after sticking the boot in to Keir Starmer for getting an upgraded season ticket at Arsenal.
It’s starting to feel like this isn’t a one-off for the SNP. Perhaps Mhairi Black was onto something when saying her colleagues were seeming a bit too comfortable within the UK political system and the luxuries it can provide to elected representatives. Maybe a few are forgetting the roots of the party these people represent: a radical movement of resistance to the British establishment.
Point milked? Well, here’s another few examples:
Shifting Stance on Independence
See when the SNP had announced they would be switching their presumed mandate for independence negotiations from a majority of votes to a majority of seats, ken what I thought? Lazy. Utter laziness.
I know the campaign for independence is relentless and tiresome… but as soon as you lose sight of the movement’s core values, there is no movement at all.
This move shows the party has lost sight. The SNP is a democracy movement. Any push for independence would require a clear, democratic mandate, with over 50% of the popular vote. Only this would reflect genuine, unequivocal support.
The going may be tough, but don’t throw the towel just shy of getting there and say, ‘ach well this is how far we can realistically get, why don’t we hedge our bets and see if we can work the system?’
Nonsense. This is an insult to those who have worked all their lives to get the party and movement to where it is now. A shameful step in the wrong direction that needs to be redacted immediately if the SNP is to salvage credibility.
Gaza
I watched John Swinney on the eve of the General Election tell fellow Leithers that a vote for the SNP is a vote for a party that will always do right for the people of Gaza.
The party’s ruthless opposition to British foreign policy is something many supporters hold dear. Seeing those leading the line in Westminster order British forces to throw military weight around the Global South is triggering for those in Scotland that feel solidarity with colonised countries.
Those same supporters feel deeply about their right to freedom, self-determination, and resistance from imperial rule. Naturally, the SNP positions itself as a consistent and strong opposing voice to post-colonial foreign policy.
And yet when John Swinney then just weeks later gave the green light for a secret meeting to discuss trade with Israel’s ambassador to the UK, all smiles and hosted with warmth to the festivities of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this feeling of solidarity was taken advantage of.
Swinney claims this meeting was only to reinforce the Scottish Government’s position of demanding a ceasefire in Gaza… but if there’s nothing to hide, why does Swinney continue to refuse the minutes being published? How can he expect anyone to reject the word of the Israeli ambassador, whilst at the same time hiding any evidence of the meeting’s ongoings?
As the leader of the Scottish National Party, it is Swinney’s responsibility to set the SNP apart from British foreign policy and challenge it with conviction. The SNP has historically taken pride in this endeavor. Swinney’s quiet engagement with Israel was at complete odds with the feeling of the movement behind him and only raised questions about the SNP’s commitment to the resistance of British influence in Scotland.
Catering to corporate giants...
If you imagine asking SNP members whether their outlook for Scotland is both green and socialist, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what the majority of answers would be.
Once a party vocal about environmental change, the SNP appears to be recalibrating its economic priorities, especially when it comes to oil and gas. While the party’s traditional stance supported transitioning Scotland toward a greener economy with a focussed direction on socialism, recent moves suggest the party is edging rightward on its economic prospectus.
This potential shift raises concerns that the SNP may be drifting from its previously strong commitments to green industrialisation, renewable energy, and addressing climate change.
For a party that has long positioned itself as environmentally responsible, pivoting from commitments to a windfall tax and the relaxing of rules surrounding new oil and gas projects, this will seem like a betrayal to the majority of its environmentally conscious members.
It may be that they find this is in the best interests of an economically viable nation heading for independence, but a move without warning or signal to its membership shows, to me, another democratic shortcut.
A Democratic Vision in Crisis
From double-jobbing to wavering commitments on independence mandate, the SNP appears to be increasingly diverging from the principles it once held dear. These decisions, taken collectively, paint a picture of a party less interested in advancing Scotland’s democratic voice than in consolidating its own influence.
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