Sturgeonland

[Mason89]

The ball is in your court if you care track back through the thread. I’d have tried to put a proper and robust procurement process in place in the first instance.

That doesn’t actually mean anything though & it would not have solved the issue of the delays in any way shape or form. Have you got anything else? After your robust procurement policy, you’d still have unfinished ferries sitting in the yard

[Shetland Don]

That doesn’t actually mean anything though & it would not have solved the issue of the delays in any way shape or form. Have you got anything else? After your robust procurement policy, you’d still have unfinished ferries sitting in the yard

You have missed my point. The point is that had the procurement process for the two new ferries been more transparent and robust in the first place then Ferguson Marine would probably not have been awarded the contract. They were by far the highest bidder and lacked experience of building vessels of this size. Due diligence, it seems, wasn’t done properly as they couldn’t give the financial guarantees required in the contract due to their precarious financial standing.

[Mason89]

You have missed my point. The point is that had the procurement process for the two new ferries been more transparent and robust in the first place then Ferguson Marine would probably not have been awarded the contract. They were by far the highest bidder and lacked experience of building vessels of this size. Due diligence, it seems, wasn’t done properly as they couldn’t give the financial guarantees required in the contract due to their precarious financial standing.

You’re missing my point. Every political party in Scotland would have taken the decision to save the yard. None of them would have wanted to but they all would have done it. It would have been political suicide not to. It’s not the greatest government policy to place your trust in a hun spiv but that was the only thing on the table.

You’re asking to put party loyalty to one side, then not doing it yourself. This would have happened regardless who was in charge, yet it’s all nippy krankie with the haircuts fault.

The only thing you can say for certain if Labour or the Tories were in charge, is that the Scottish media would not have reported on it so often & you wouldn’t be so upset about it

[InversneckieDob]

The real point here in my view is:- does anyone on here, party-politics aside, think that the former FM, as leader of the SNP, is anything other than culpable for the complete and utter waste of around £200M of our, the public’s funds? Please answer objectively.

Could any dissenters please give a reasoned and reasonable explanation to support their contrary views and try to avoid personal insults - no unreadable pink maps either please, SD

Possibly, I don't profess to be sufficiently across the subject to comment knowledgeably.

It is irrelevant to the broader issue of independence.

[Donanddusted]

Do they?

I've never really thought about it before but every SNP vote I've ever made was a vote for independence, not a vote for the party itself.

I never saw the SNP lasting five minutes in an independent Scotland, their main problem is that they have had to govern too long.

Pretty much this.

[WhenTattieFlooredChas]

No I didn't, you've been whittering on about ferries for months , as if the whole thing was some sort of SNP triumph.

I've paid absolutely no attention to the ferries fiasco and never mentioned it before.

Taking on a roll of moderator, you did say:
"Some weegies that obviously can't do their jobs very well.

It's not looking like they are going to move away from their blinkered weegie view of the world.
It's not looking good for independence.".

This could be construed as suggesting weegies screwed (or will screw) independence. Mason pointed out the great unwashed voted in favour, where we voted (as a region) against, hence the pretty map.

Then again, the comment could be construed as suggesting, because weegies are just a bit weird the rest of us are put off being governed by the central belt.

I dunno, just thought I would bring some balance to a grey and wet afternoon.

I'm off to sow some tomatoes and aubergines instead. I'm another capitalist, masquerading as a socialist, with a garden.

[WhenTattieFlooredChas]

Do they?

I've never really thought about it before but every SNP vote I've ever made was a vote for independence, not a vote for the party itself.

I never saw the SNP lasting five minutes in an independent Scotland, their main problem is that they have had to govern too long.

We need a change of government but not the bloody labour party, so a complete change within the SNP is the only way.

Can i ask a question? Not just to you but to anyone else who votes SNP purely for independence reasons.

You don't envisage the SNP lasting post independence.

You don't want the bloody Labour Party, and I'm assuming not the tories?

Libs dems? Greens? A collaition? A constant reinvention of the SNP for perpetual governance?

What is your preference post independence?

Doesn't effect me in Somerset, I just want rid of Rees-f'ing-Mogg, and will tactically vote to try to achieve this. But just curious about back home.

[donsdaft]

No, the SNP can't last further than the first short term independent Scotland parliament.

Then we'll have a Scottish rightish wing, and a Scottish centrist party to vote for.

There will of course be a Scottish left wing party, but since almost everyone has forgotten what left wing really is, they will only attract a fringe vote.

[Shetland Don]

Taking on a roll of moderator, you did say:
"Some weegies that obviously can't do their jobs very well.

It's not looking like they are going to move away from their blinkered weegie view of the world.
It's not looking good for independence.".

This could be construed as suggesting weegies screwed (or will screw) independence. Mason pointed out the great unwashed voted in favour, where we voted (as a region) against, hence the pretty map.

Then again, the comment could be construed as suggesting, because weegies are just a bit weird the rest of us are put off being governed by the central belt.

I dunno, just thought I would bring some balance to a grey and wet afternoon.

I'm off to sow some tomatoes and aubergines instead. I'm another capitalist, masquerading as a socialist, with a garden.

You’ve got a garden?! What a right-wing bas****! 😃 I hope that you still do down the laundrette!?

[TheDeeDon]

What is your preference post independence?

A new beginning needs a new way of doing things. So for me political parties will be a thing of the past come independence.

AI should play a huge part of the political process too as we really can't trust individuals to make decisions that impact people's lives.