I really don't understand the motivation of the SNP.
Half of Scottish population voted to stay in the Union and the other half voted to leave. That situation hasn't really changed.
From that position, the reasoning seems to be that if the half that wants to leave is just slightly larger than the half that wants to stay that will be justification for having half the country thoroughly and, forever, disenchanted.
The parallel with Brexit is striking, The only people to benefit from these kind of dumb decisions are politicians and lawyers. The people, will only ever lose out.
Such major decisions need to be based on consensus, but much more importantly if politicians were to act responsibly they would look to find an option, a compromise that would be acceptable and to the benefit of all of us.
Why are politicians so set on their own voters and have so little regard to those that have another opinion? Take a good long careful look at what is happening in America. We do not want that to be replicated here.
If the SNP was really a party for Scotland it would be looking to unify us under one strategy that would give the best possible outcome for our future. Regardless of what that strategy might ultimately look like for the individuals within the SNP.
We're becoming a very inwardly looking nation. We've split the funding for university away from the UK model, and right or wrong, what this means is that our children will take their tertiary education at home. It does not encourage an international outlook.
Historically Scotland voted socialist. There were pockets of liberals and one or two safe conservative seats. This weight of support for labour was extremely significant for the UK since before the war. It allowed the labour party to have substantial influence on the UK's politics and has made a considerable difference to the way our society has evolved over the last hundred years.
The SNP could have changed the face of UK politics. They could have shifted the balance of power significantly north of Westminster. But, instead of seeking to take the advantage offered by the position they held, they decided to pursue the one path they have interest in and they are not really concerned about the consequences possibly being less than ideal. There was no thought to what would be best for the people of Scotland.
Had the SNP been less self centered and little more focused on the what was best for all of us, they would have made much more of their position in Westminster as, effectively, the casting vote on any issue. They could have been fostering relationships with politicians on the other side of the border, particularly with those representing the northern and historically more industrial areas. Those alliances, forged among people with similar view points, would inevitably shift the focus out of London.
If you think about what they could have done... they could have had a seat at the table for the Brexit negotiations.
How much better would the future of the Scottish people be if the party of the North had a firm grip on the policies made for the whole of the UK.
We need another option. With politicians who have a more expansive, ambitious and longer term view point. If we can't make the most of the relationships with our closet neighbours, how on earth do we imagine we will cope as the minnow dropped in the ocean?