Why having the SNP in the leadership debates was so important

[andrewducker]

I saw some complaining about the Leadership Debates last night*, saying that having so many people involved was a mistake, and that it diluted things when most of the "extras" were regional and not going to have anything to say to the majority of watchers.

And the reason I think this is wrong is precisely the effect that the debate had - that many, many people not in Scotland now have a positive view of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon**

And as several English papers have been running scare stories about the SNP, and the terrible effects it would have if there was a Labour/SNP agreement, this will probably have a small, but significant, effect on voting patterns.

If the SNP were likely to gain 6 seats (as they did in 2005), then this wouldn't be an issue. But as long as we have a situation where regional parties can form part of the UK government, and particularly while the possibility of deals with those parties is being used to scare people off the larger parties, they need to be put in the spotlight so that people can see what they're going to get.


*I didn't watch them myself - but I did keep up with the Twitter discussion and the response in the media/blogs today.
** Many English people would now rather like to vote for her...

Comments

[draigwen]

Dammit, was hoping you'd watched yourself. I couldn't face watching them but am intrigued to find out how Leanne Wood came across as the one time I met her before she was Plaid leader she was fab.

[andrewducker]

Sorry! It's exactly the kind of thing I find incredibly hard to watch, because people I like will say stupid things, people I don't will score points, and I'll just want to go and hide under the duvet.

[matgb]

My little prediction for 2020: The SNP, Plaid and the Greens will form a "Progressive Alliance" slate with a common manifesto as an electoral pact (Greens have given way for Plaid in the past, they're all in the same EuroParl party anyway).

This'll be led by either Wood or Sturgeon on the "we've got experience in government" argument and will do reasonably well across most of England, putting a lot of "safe" Labour seats into contention for the first time in decades.

There's even a chance such a grouping could lead to a split in the LDs.

[andrewducker]

Absolutely. Whether they can make a dent in Labour in England is another matter - but they might at least pull Labour back to being more progressive.

[matgb]

they might at least pull Labour back to being more progressive

That's a lost cause, Labour's pretty much entirely bought into the tribal/communalist Stand Up For People Like Us mentality and is chasing tabloid support, which given the plummetting sales of newspapers is a fools errand.

But a coalition that includes a decent electoral system as a requirement would really be a game changer, and given our lot failed, it's the only chance we've really got.