Sturgeon to resign as FM

[ProfessorDavey]

Polling for Westminster and Holyrood

The full tables are here:

https://docs.cdn.yougov.com/356mxqu760/Sky_Scotland_Results_230313_W.pdf

There are some interesting sub-questions.

On whether the leadership candidates would be a good or bad FM for all voters we have:

Forbes
27% good
36% bad

Yousaf
22% good
44% bad

So Forbes betters Yousaf, but both in negative territory - I've ignored Regan!!

But with SNP voters we get:

Forbes
34% good
38% bad

Yousaf
41% good
31% bad

So Yousaf betters Forbes and Forbes is still in negative territory. Nothing on SNP members in this poll.

Another interesting snippet is that people were asked whether each of the candidates would be better or worse than Sturgeon and the numbers are horrendous for the candidates, particularly amongst SNP voters where we get:

Forbes
10% better
51% worse

Yousaf
5% better
54% worse

Ouch!

[Aruntraveller]

So Forbes thinks conversion therapy can be consented to.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/13/two-snp-leadership-candidates-call-jk-rowling-a-national-treasure

[Nearly Sane]

So Forbes thinks conversion therapy can be consented to.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/13/two-snp-leadership-candidates-call-jk-rowling-a-national-treasure

It's an idea that only makes sense if you live or have lived in a society or are part of some grouping that looks down on homosexuality. I remember on thread of Sriram's, where he raised the idea of conversion therapy, the much missed Leonard James saying he would have done it had it been available when he was growing up, and I think Owlswing said similar. In their cases given they grew up in a society whete ot was criminalised and taboo, you can see an appeal but would it really be consent?

I can imagine that there are those in faiths and ideological groupings to whivh it might still have appeal but the same question arises. Also there is no magic conversion, and no way of developing it without both condoning the idea that homosexuality is bad, and that you would be willing to experiment on people to develop it.

Forbes's answer seems to me both affected by her faith, and by a facile grasping of the idea of freedom for an individual.

[The Accountant, OBE, KC]

So Forbes thinks conversion therapy can be consented to.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/13/two-snp-leadership-candidates-call-jk-rowling-a-national-treasure

The idea that someone else knows whether a person has "genuinely" consented or not where there has been no coercion seems very problematic to me. The people assessing the genuineness or authenticity of someone else's consent or thoughts will have their own biases and agenda. Everyone's thoughts are shaped by their nature / nurture so how can anyone's thoughts be deemed "genuine"?

If a person's thoughts are influenced by their faith/ social or economic or political belief systems/ values/ morals, I am not seeing how that makes them any less genuine. Especially as a lot of faith/ belief system/ values/ morals encourage you to  transform yourself or your thoughts or restrain your impulses or adopt new behaviours, habits and lifestyles to achieve certain goals. And these goals may require sacrifice of individual or personal or short-term gratification for the "greater good", whatever that means. Hence people sacrifice comforts, well-being, family life and their own lives sometimes for the good of their community or their country.

My children, when they were in primary school, were deemed to be able to decide for themselves if they wanted to fast during Ramadan i.e. not eat or drink anything including water until sunset.

If someone decides their sense of well-being or their sense of purpose and place in society will be enhanced if they become vegetarian or restrict their consumption of food or resources or if they become celibate or do not act on some of their sexual impulses, or dress more modestly or restrict themselves in their choice of further education, profession or in the criteria for their choice of spouse based on their political or faith beliefs, surely that's their choice.  In the absence of coercion, how does someone else get to decide which choices are genuine?

[Nearly Sane]

As a non SNP member, but a voter who has an interest in who is the FM of the Scottish Govt, the 3 candidates seem to me
1. Vaguely competent, but disagree with
2. Vaguely agree with, but doesn't seem competent
3. Doesn't seem competent, and disagree with

[ProfessorDavey]

As a non SNP member, but a voter who has an interest in who is the FM of the Scottish Govt, the 3 candidates seem to me
1. Vaguely competent, but disagree with
2. Vaguely agree with, but doesn't seem competent
3. Doesn't seem competent, and disagree with

Are we allowed to guess - oo, pick me, pick me.

[Nearly Sane]

Are we allowed to guess - oo, pick me, pick me.

Feel free, Hermione

[Nearly Sane]

And this is, of course, entirely normal in an election for a paryy leader

[ProfessorDavey]

Feel free, Hermione

I guess it depends on whether you consider 'agree with' to be in its broadest sense rather than on a narrow matter such as gender identity. I presume you are thinking broadly as you only have one candidate you 'vaguely' agree with but there are two candidates who oppose the gender recognition legislation.

So on that basis, we have:

1. Vaguely competent, but disagree with - Forbes
2. Vaguely agree with, but doesn't seem competent - Yousaf
3. Doesn't seem competent, and disagree with - Regan

[ProfessorDavey]

And this is, of course, entirely normal in an election for a paryy leader

Actually it isn't uncommon for a political party not to have accurate records of who is, and who is not, a member for the purposes of election of a party leader. I think the Tories had the same issue in their leadership election in the summer.

[ProfessorDavey]

And this is, of course, entirely normal in an election for a paryy leader

Has Ash Regan gone the full Trump - ready to claim that the election was stolen from her when she doesn't get a thumping victory!

[Nearly Sane]

Has Ash Regan gone the full Trump - ready to claim that the election was stolen from her when she doesn't get a thumping victory!

You missed it was from Forbes as well?

[Nearly Sane]

Actually it isn't uncommon for a political party not to have accurate records of who is, and who is not, a member for the purposes of election of a party leader. I think the Tories had the same issue in their leadership election in the summer.

Being as shite as the Tories is a usual excuse for the SNP. Interesting that you use them as a gold standard.

[ProfessorDavey]

You missed it was from Forbes as well?

I didn't, but the letter is signed by Regan alone, not Regan and Forbes. And actually the letter only references Forbes' campaign team, not her personally, while it is signed by Regan personally.

I suspect Forbes is clever enough to keep a decent distance from conspiracy theories.

[Nearly Sane]

I guess it depends on whether you consider 'agree with' to be in its broadest sense rather than on a narrow matter such as gender identity. I presume you are thinking broadly as you only have one candidate you 'vaguely' agree with but there are two candidates who oppose the gender recognition legislation.

So on that basis, we have:

1. Vaguely competent, but disagree with - Forbes
2. Vaguely agree with, but doesn't seem competent - Yousaf
3. Doesn't seem competent, and disagree with - Regan

5 points off Gryffindor

[Nearly Sane]

I didn't, but the letter is signed by Regan alone, not Regan and Forbes.

Try reading the first line. Honestly this is getting embarassing, Hermione 

[ProfessorDavey]

5 points off Gryffindor

Blimey - love to see your marking scheme, given that there are only three 'questions'.

[Nearly Sane]

Blimey - love to see your marking scheme, given that there are only three 'questions'.

and another 10 points off for not having an understanding of the relevant cultural allusion.

[ProfessorDavey]

5 points off Gryffindor

1. Vaguely competent, but disagree with - Forbes
2. Vaguely agree with, but doesn't seem competent - Regan
3. Doesn't seem competent, and disagree with - Yousaf

[ProfessorDavey]

and another 10 points off for not having an understanding of the relevant cultural allusion.

I understand the Harry Potter references, just not how you can get to minus five marks for a three mark question, even with negative marking.

[Nearly Sane]

I understand the Harry Potter references, just not how you can get to minus five marks for a three mark question, even with negative marking.

Thank you for illustrating that you don't understand. Maybe reading the course material might help.

[ProfessorDavey]

Try reading the first line. Honestly this is getting embarassing, Hermione

Try reading my response - the letter isn't signed by Forbes nor does it claim to come from Forbes personally, only 'on behalf' of her campaign team.

Hufflepuff at -50 points, -25 for failing to read the letter accurately and another -25 for failing to recognise that what I said about the letter was entirely correct.

[ProfessorDavey]

Thank you for illustrating that you don't understand.

The Harry Potter references are alluding to JK Rowling and her views on gender identity I would imagine.

But with regard to the letter I think you are having a 'conversation with Brian Clough moment'.

I've re-ordered my answers - any closer yet?

[Nearly Sane]

Try reading my response - the letter isn't signed by Forbes nor does it claim to come from Forbes personally, only 'on behalf' of her campaign team.

Hufflepuff at -50 points, -25 for failing to read the letter accurately and another -25 for failing to recognise that what I said about the letter was entirely correct.

Your lack of understanding of politics as well as Potter means that you are merely a Professor of Wishful Thinking.

[Nearly Sane]

The Harry Potter references are alluding to JK Rowling and her views on gender identity I would imagine.

But with regard to the letter I think you are having a 'conversation with Brian Clough moment'.

I've re-ordered my answers - any closer yet?

And yet, while the gender stuff was a bonus, no it wasn't the reference as regards marks. That reference was to the books. So I award you a  T.