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Right with the current issues going there is a very likely chance nicola may well step down after the covid settles or may even be pushed, who would you like to see step into the position?my list would be one of the following

 

katie forbes

kenny macaskill

angus macneil

cherry

someone not divisive  

 

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Just now, hampden_loon2878 said:

Right with the current issues going there is a very likely chance nicola may well step down after the covid settles or may even be pushed, who would you like to see step into the position?my list would be one of the following

 

katie forbes

kenny macaskill

angus macneil

cherry

someone not divisive  

 

None of them for various different reasons.

There isn't a vacancy however.

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11 minutes ago, thplinth said:

Loon, are you voicing support for Angus Robertson? You do know right?

No definitely not it was more on a personal level he seems like an ok guy, i met him up at craigellchie a few months back and he seems an alright person, i would prefer he has no more involvement in the party. Do you think he will win selection? I dont know anyone from that constituency for a gauge 

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5 minutes ago, hampden_loon2878 said:

Too left also, we need centre politics in the SNP but i agree a great orator 

If a great orator got us to independence, being left (or right) wouldn't matter, as we could vote left or right afterwards?

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18 minutes ago, hampden_loon2878 said:

No definitely not it was more on a personal level he seems like an ok guy, i met him up at craigellchie a few months back and he seems an alright person, i would prefer he has no more involvement in the party. Do you think he will win selection? I dont know anyone from that constituency for a gauge 

I am not sure I can tell you without getting into trouble. The fact you don't know is concerning. You are obviously well tuned into the SNP pulse but how can you not fucking know this man?

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52 minutes ago, thplinth said:

I am not sure I can tell you without getting into trouble. The fact you don't know is concerning. You are obviously well tuned into the SNP pulse but how can you not fucking know this man?

I am pretty sure i know what you are getting at, its not so much him that has done anything but an acquaintance, i also met that person who seems a strange character, i think we are on the same page 🤔

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Nicola is going nowhere. Maybe half way through next parliament after second indy ref.

So in the hypothetical situation u are discussing

 

Phillipa Whitehead would be good.

Alison Thewiss is another

David Lindon as well. 

There is plenty of talent to take over in about 4/ 5 years time

 

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I think it's too early (for me) to guess the next leader, until we know the manner and timing of the present one's departure. There's a lot of leeway between being forced out in a grubby coup, running out of steam, or stepping up to a more presidential position after all those years of being FM/PM.

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17 hours ago, hampden_loon2878 said:

I always hoped mr hamilton would come back into the fold

Surely at some point. He was very young first time around but must be close to hitting the "right" age about now? Came across as a great guy.

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While there's no vacancy at the moment - and I suspect won't be one for some time - there's a few things people are overlooking and a lot depends on the circumstances under which the vacancy occurs.

There are basically four scenarios where Nicola Sturgeon would stand down.   She'd either decide it was time for her to do something different, she could be forced to resign because of some major scandal, or she could do the same as her predecessor and resign following the loss of another referendum.  The other possibility is that she could resign following a Holyrood election which saw the SNP lose power.

In the first three cases, presumably she would be resigning not only as SNP leader but also as FM.    That leads to the obvious conclusion that whoever becomes the next leader would also become FM and so needs to be in a position to do that. ie. they would need to be a sitting MSP - which rules out anyone - with the exception of Neil Gray, who will be standing for Holyrood in May - who is currently an MP.    It's unthinkable in these circumstances that anyone other than MSP would get on to the ballot - assuming there is actually a vote.    In terms of candidates, you'd be looking at someone who had had a level of government experience, so someone who is a cabinet secretary or at the very least has been one in the recent past.

Of course a large number of the current cabinet are standing down in May, so of those who would be likely to be around you've got.

John Swinney, in some sense the natural successor but given that he's had a taste of leadership which went badly and his personal circumstances, I'm not sure he'd be a willing replacement.   Humza Yousaf, would fancy it and has had a couple of cabinet posts under his belt but I think it might be too early for him.   Kate Forbes, way too early for her.   Fergus Ewing - don't see him getting the support.  Fiona Hyslop, a contemporary of Sturgeon's and could be presented that way but I think she's a bit too anonymous.  Michael Matheson, can't see it.   Shirley Anne Somerville, can't see it either.

There isn't anyone in the next level down who looks like an obvious candidate either, not in the medium term.

This could all change over the course of the next 5-6 years but not over the next 1-2.

The other thing is while there are undoubtedly some talented individuals in the Westminster group, elevating one of them to be FM would be akin to replacing Steve Clarke with Michael Stewart as he talks a lot of sense as a pundit - for the sake of the argument - being effective in opposition is a world of a difference from being effective in office.

Of course, the other scenario which is where Nicola Sturgeon stands down following an election loss means that a whole load of different candidates could come into the picture as that could be the opportunity for someone with a different profile and of course a lot of that would depend on where the party was at that point - presumably not in a good place.

Seems to me that in terms of current politicians, you can look at three generations in the SNP.  The older group are those politicians who predate devolution, the likes of Salmond, Neil, Cunningham and the like.   For pretty obvious reasons most of this cohort would be unlikely to be realistic prospects.   Then you have the post-devolution group, which are those politicians who would have been activists in the 80s and/or 90s but came to the fore with Holyrood and Nicola Sturgeon herself is the most obvious member of this cohort.   Then you have the post-Indyref intake.   Some, not all of these people would have been activists or party members before 2014 but they came to the fore during the campaign, a lot of these are in the Westminster 2015 and Holyrood 2016 intakes.

If its someone who will be a replacement as FM then I think you'll be looking at at someone from the post-devo group, if its in opposition, I suspect it will be a Post-Indyref candidate on a mandate of "renewing the party".

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