A terrific analysis. Why Humza keeps going out of his way to support a former FM notable for her complete lack of loyalty to her colleagues, I have no idea.
It makes it impossible for him to set his own agenda (if he's capable), because he is constantly having to fight the fires set by the previous leadership.
On the plus side, the Yes movement is now free from the shackles of the SNP leadership, because they have made themselves irrelevant to the cause. TBH, I've found the past few months quite freeing, and I've started to get involved in indy activities again.
One thing I don't understand is why so many pro-indy commentators on the left who had no time for Alex Salmond because of his social democracy, continue to fawn over his Neo-Liberal, authoritarian, successor.
You say Salmond was a social democrat, unlike Sturgeon who is a massive neoliberal? That’s quite a claim to make.
Both pursued overwhelmingly neoliberal economic policies, but if anyone was more of a social democrat it was Sturgeon. Salmond was known for his friendliness with the business lobby, while Sturgeon’s administration was often accused (from the right) of being outright hostile to Scottish business. It was under Sturgeon that income tax was made a smidgeon more progressive, a rent freeze was introduced, and free bus passes were extended to more young people.
I don’t have much time for either of them. Sturgeon has pursued a neoliberal agenda, privatising key public assets like ScotWind, hiring corporate executives to advise on economic policy, and refusing to make full use of devolved powers to raise taxes and alleviate poverty in Scotland. However, to suggest Salmond was to the left of Sturgeon is nonsense. Especially now he’s thrown his lot in with an awful crowd of transphobic extremists, many of whom stand side by side with fascists at rallies. If I had to say whose leadership I preferred, miserable a choice as it would be, I would pick Sturgeon without hesitation.
A terrific analysis. Why Humza keeps going out of his way to support a former FM notable for her complete lack of loyalty to her colleagues, I have no idea.
It makes it impossible for him to set his own agenda (if he's capable), because he is constantly having to fight the fires set by the previous leadership.
On the plus side, the Yes movement is now free from the shackles of the SNP leadership, because they have made themselves irrelevant to the cause. TBH, I've found the past few months quite freeing, and I've started to get involved in indy activities again.
One thing I don't understand is why so many pro-indy commentators on the left who had no time for Alex Salmond because of his social democracy, continue to fawn over his Neo-Liberal, authoritarian, successor.
You say Salmond was a social democrat, unlike Sturgeon who is a massive neoliberal? That’s quite a claim to make.
Both pursued overwhelmingly neoliberal economic policies, but if anyone was more of a social democrat it was Sturgeon. Salmond was known for his friendliness with the business lobby, while Sturgeon’s administration was often accused (from the right) of being outright hostile to Scottish business. It was under Sturgeon that income tax was made a smidgeon more progressive, a rent freeze was introduced, and free bus passes were extended to more young people.
I don’t have much time for either of them. Sturgeon has pursued a neoliberal agenda, privatising key public assets like ScotWind, hiring corporate executives to advise on economic policy, and refusing to make full use of devolved powers to raise taxes and alleviate poverty in Scotland. However, to suggest Salmond was to the left of Sturgeon is nonsense. Especially now he’s thrown his lot in with an awful crowd of transphobic extremists, many of whom stand side by side with fascists at rallies. If I had to say whose leadership I preferred, miserable a choice as it would be, I would pick Sturgeon without hesitation.
Yes, everyone who disagrees with you is evil.
Yes that’s exactly what I said 👏
Spot on. How some are still blind I cannot understand.
Good article Johnathan.