Before anyone has a go I know it is a Neil MacKay article and it’s in the Herald but to be honest I have made the same claim in this blog in recent months.
There’s been a slow but sure movement of the SNP rightwards. The ScotWind deal which auctioned the nation’s seabed to private and foreign companies will be remembered as a clear line in the sand. The SNP was, if you recall, the party which promised a state energy firm. Instead, we got a Thatcherite fire sale of national assets.
As we have heard today, and MacKay mentions it in his article, the SNP have embraced the idea of Free Ports in Scotland which is very much a Tory Policy and does nothing or little to create employment or help the poorest and most vulnerable but it will provide companies with big fat tax incentives won’t it. The SNP have also copied the council tax rebate in the same way as the Tories via the Council Tax where 73% get the £150 rebate, now I get the argument that it’s fair that most benefits, but will wealthy people notice £150, not really, but the poorest would notice say £300. These are choices that the SNP could be making but they are not any longer for fear of upsetting the unionists is my guess.
MacKay goes on to rightly raise the bottle recycle scheme when he writes,
Even on relatively bland policies, the SNP comes across as Tory-lite. It seems the plastic bottles collected as part of the nation’s deposit return scheme will most likely “be exported for reprocessing” to England. So there will be no real economic or jobs benefit for Scotland.
A private company, Circulatory Scotland, has been set up to roll out the scheme. Why not a public body? Once again, the Greens are left looking like patsies for the Government’s Thatcheresque policies.
Add in the Ferries going overseas is it fair to ask if the SNP really are becoming the Tartan Tories in a lighter shade of blue.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
I’m sure she once said that Thatcher was an inspiration to her – just just lied about in what way that was.
Wee Chid
Did she? Wouldn’t surprise me right enough but the SNP certainly are not the radical party they once were that is for sure, or what passes for radical in Scotland anyway lol.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I’ve been saying this for a long time only different words. The SNP is now a Unionist self serving party, led by an egotistical dictator. When oh when will the sheep see through this treacherous leader. Saor Alba
Lara
They are certainly looking more comfortable at the British table that is for sure, I think they have lost their bottle while developing an ever expanding waist line feeding at the trough. The policies of late show a complete lack of faith in Scottish business and that has got to hurt the cause, if only they had the same faith in Scotland that some of us do.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
I dont think anything is more hateful or spiteful than the Tory rule . The SNP morphing into yellow quisling Torys will be the last and final Betrayal .An act beyond redemption. The Supreme Leader will get her reward from a greatful British elite. The slayer of Dreams and Independence.
The Unionists think we will start voting Labour again, going back to twedelde, tweedledum politics.UK, Ok. Ha, Ha Ha, Delusions we know your game, we will Vote for othe independence parties till we get free of you corupt rotten Union.
Alasdair
I don’t think people will return to Labour but they will eventually abandon the SNP due to betrayal and crap government. I will live in hope that this will give Alba a foothold in the electorates mind as Alba and ISP really are all we have now. Sturgeon just gets more disappointing by the day.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Yes, Bruce, and I’m of the same opinion that Alba and ISP really are all we have now, etc. Clearly, Sturgeon DOES gets more disappointing by the day; She and they will be remembered in history, BUT NOT in any style of celebration!
Well Robin McAlpine has the same opinion, http://robinmcalpine.org/why-is-the-scottish-government-surging-to-the-right/
Stuart
Thanks for that I will check it out. Robin M is such a good writer, I enjoy reading his work a lot.
Bruce
Thanks Stuart. Excellent article from Robin.
Not incompetence, Sturgeon is carrying out a ‘scorched earth’ policy. It’s there in plain sight. Horrendous!
“When I write that Scotland is being ‘asset stripped’, this is what I mean. It is not just that decisions are being made which have no real democratic legitimacy, it’s that decisions are being targetted where there is and can be no democratic redress. Once this stuff is done, it’s done”.
Thanks for that link Stuart. A really excellent article by Robin McAlpine
Sturgeon’s SNP: Simply Not Politically ‘Scottish’!; what present Scottish politician/party can seriously refer to ‘GRA Reform, Parking Place Levies and Women-only train carriages etc.; these policies that we’re now hearing about, wouldn’t have emerged from what had previously been one of the most meritorious parties ever known; instead of ‘meritorious’, would mendacious be more accurate?!
Ewen
It’s a mess isn’t it. There is no real vision at all, it’s not coherent any more. I can’t think of any radical policy really. Most of what they do is mirror the English Government but a week later, it is slowly but surely falling apart in front of our eyes.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
People really ought to dump any political entity when they detect that party are even suggesting policy which they disagree with. Don’t wait for verification. Dump them on instinct. That’ll make therm behave.
The minute Sturgeon stepped on that stage and raised her hands in salutation was the minute I detected another narcissist fuck wit who took the queens shilling.
Dump those fuckers. They have nothing to offer, We know that. Let’s move on.
Thanks Grumpy.
BR
You are not wrong, Sturgeon is all presentation as we have seen since Covid and even longer.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Could the SNP or individual SNP elected representatives be sued for misrepresenting the public because they have introduced and are acting on policies that were not in their manifesto.
They do not do what it said on their tin.
The Robin McAlpine article should open everyone’s eyes. The SNP are Thatchers wicked evil offspring.
W
I don’t think they can and how many actually follow their manifesto anyway, it’s probably more is that are the problem we keep voting for these people who are not in it for us that is for sure.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I just dont get the Thatcherism thing with the SNP . Did we as a nation not reject Thatchers decisive politics, only for the SNP to ape them years later. Have we not rejected the Red and Blue Tory’s so how do they think we will accept Yellow Torys. Does Westminster think if we have a rightwing goverment up here we will be a happy colonial natives again in a Zombie Union. Government should be about creating a country worth living in and helping those less fortunate. We have a UK government that has declared war on the working people, poor and disabled . The SNP are now playing the UK.OK game, pushing the Devo Max rat game. Sturgeon will calm its all she can get.
She has had chance after chance ,6 mandates to end the Union but has never tried. She saved the UK and Brexit. I voted to end this corupt rotten Union not to be reembroiled in it. What happened to my European citizenship. I have less right than an Irishman who can get a referendum every 7 years and stay in the EU with less of a vote than Scotland. Since the SNP have been in charge my status has been reduced colonial subject go a 2 class colonial subject.
Sturgeon must go the SNP must purge the party for it to have a future. I personally think they are far to down the road for redemption. Alba must now take on the fight for our freedom.
Alasdair
I feel your pain. I hate Thatcher and I despise that Sturgeon appears to admire her and the SNP now are a Thatcher light party in so many ways. I don’t think I will see independence in my lifetime I really don’t. The SNP are a hollowed out party now full of careerists and even the couple of decent ones are complicit in either their silence or their remaining in that party when there are clear alternatives now in ISP and Alba. The sooner Sturgeon and her dangle berries are gone the better.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Well Mike Russell did write a book saying the NHS should be privatised. Not only are some of the SNP Britnats they are Tory Brutnats.
Cubby
He did don’t he, I’ve never seen it but there are many in the SNP who are conservative with an ever enlarging c by the looks. I’ve had it with them now to be honest.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
The SNP are giving us a few bob to compensate for energy costs rising to stratospheric levels and at the same time introducing a law insisting everyone spends most of it on smoke alarms. Most people’s houses will be too cold and damp to go up in flames!!!!!
Vote Alba and kick out these SNP chancers.
Cubby
Alba and ISP our last hope to be honest and I still don’t think I will see independence in my lifetime.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce