Post by irish observer on Jul 3, 2024 17:02:16 GMT
They are facing so many challenges, making decisions that show arrogance rather than common sense, and are likely to get, at best, a bit of a drubbing at the General election.
The SNP is also at a bit of a crossroads. Yes, it seems quite possible we're heading into a period in opposition at Holyrood (Westminster is less important from an SNP perspective), but given that the party has been in government continuously since I was a teenager that feels inevitable eventually.
If anything, I think that's more reason to be involved now. The SNP manages the big tent thing quite successfully but I'd like to see the party remaining firmly on the progressive left, and I think key to that is that tendency has to keep turning up and doing the work.
And drubbings are relative - as no one is ever likely to let me forget I started out politically as a Green and being SNP on a bad night is still likely to be a much better result than being Green on a good night.
IMO no-one should ever question anyone involved in active politics why they are a member of a political party. Because its an obvious rejoinder as to why the questioner is in the same party. I have never asked that question ever of any person in Irish political life and I've been in active politics for 26 years from student politics up. If you disrespect one of us, you disrespect us all. And eventually the decent ones, and there are some in politics realise that. In political life you have no real friends, but acquaintances yet I can meet people I've known since the age of 17 in God know's what walk of life, and whatever party, and still meet up with them for a drink and that's me now having lost an election. Does that annoy me, no. But I know some no-marks who've never stood for office ever and wouldn't get more than 1 vote in a Golf Club that this perplexes to this day. Everyone of us has our own story and life here and we shouldn't challenge each others political journey, rather encourage our differences and have more people from different political leanings take part in this friendly political place of discourse that I've found a home in for years now.
