Who would you vote for in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election?

[Continential]

Who would you vote for in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election?

[beesley]

Depends which constituency I lived in - but for the unionist option in each case. I would probably vote for the Scottish Liberal Democrats for the regional list vote because of their support for federalism and the fact I like Willie Rennie. Despite the 'ENG' avatar I am a unionist and I identify as British too, just strongly identifying with my patch of England more personally. I also genuinely don't think the SNP have had a good record in government.

[If my soul was made of stone]

I wish that the SSP were still a relevant electoral force. In their absence (or more appropriately, their only token presence), the Greens for the list vote, and either Greens or SNP for the constituency vote depending on the dynamics of the particular constituency.

[PSOL]

SNP as a single-issue voter.

[KaiserDave]

Scottish Labour

[Alcibiades]

The Lib Dems for the list vote, and Labour or Lib Dems for the constituency depending on where I lived.

[Conservatopia]

Jock Tories on the list of course.
Strongest unionist for the constituency.
Never SNP.

[Alben Barkley]

SNP. The Scots have been forced against their will to leave the EU, which is ridiculously unfair. I fully support their independence from England so they can become an autonomous nation again.

[President Johnson]

Liberal Democrats

[Never Made it to Graceland]

Probably SNP. I wouldn't consider voting Labour until lame Starmer is gone, even at a regional level.

[Lechasseur]

Jock Tories on the list of course.
Strongest unionist for the constituency.
Never SNP.

This

[Storr]

SNP because they may take our lives, but they'll never take our FREEEEEEDOOOOMMMMMM.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Never SNP. Tactical unionist vote, even if that means voting Conservative. However I'm by quite a lot of distance the most comfortable voting Labour.

[Frodo]

Scottish Labour almost certainly. 

[AndyHogan14]

Within the constituency, whichever party has the best chance of beating the SNP. For the regional list, Scottish Labour. If I lived in Scotland, I would crawl over broken glass to vote against the SNP—only the DUP and Sinn Féin are more repulsive within the UK (poor Northern Ireland).

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Jock Tories on the list of course.
Strongest unionist for the constituency.
Never SNP.

what's a "Jock Tory" ?

[S019]

SNP

[An American Tail: Fubart Goes West]

The Lib Dems for the list vote, and Labour or Lib Dems for the constituency depending on where I lived.

This.

I would consider the Greens or Labour for the List vote. In a Tory/SNP marginal, I’d hold my nose and vote SNP.

[beesley]

Jock Tories on the list of course.
Strongest unionist for the constituency.
Never SNP.

what's a "Jock Tory" ?

A Scottish Tory. Jock is just a colloquial term for a Scot.

[GoTfan]

SNP, to tick off the Starmerites.

[Illiniwek]

Scottish Lib Dems, otherwise a strategic unionist vote. Although I am a lot more open to the idea of independence since Brexit. If it was believed that an independent Scotland would be admitted back into the EU, I may switch my stance to pro-independence.

[Wikipedia delenda est]

SNP, for Christ's Crown and Covenant.

[ηєω ƒяσηтιєя]

SNP. I support Scottish independence.

[Conservatopia]

I genuinely don't understand why so many American centre-left posters support Scottish independence.

Scottish independence represents the kind of stupid nationalism that you all (rightly) profess to hate.  It isn't based on anything concrete because Scots* aren't really any different to English or Welsh.  It would be like me supporting independence for Minnesota.  Scotland isn't some kind of oppressed colony - it is actually over represented in Westminster and has its own self government that has a lot of power.  Not only that but its weaker economy benefits from the stronger English economy.

* Who is a Scotsman?  I was born and brought up in Wales but Ancestry says I am 75% Scottish (Shetland) and my surname is strongly linked with Gloucestershire, where I now live.

I understand that you may not like Brexit and that that might be your reasoning.  But Brexit isn't actually going to change very much for ordinary people.  The only difference is maybe having to pay slightly extra for some products from the EU.  And really if you think leaving a 60-year union with the EU was tricky how much harder would leaving a 400-year union be?

Furthermore independence would just make one of America's strongest allies a lot weaker both economically and geopolitically.  It's no surprise that Russian and Chinese state media support independence.

[LabourJersey]

I genuinely don't understand why so many American centre-left posters support Scottish independence.

Scottish independence represents the kind of stupid nationalism that you all (rightly) profess to hate.  It isn't based on anything concrete because Scots* aren't really any different to English or Welsh.  It would be like me supporting independence for Minnesota.  Scotland isn't some kind of oppressed colony - it is actually over represented in Westminster and has its own self government that has a lot of power.  Not only that but its weaker economy benefits from the stronger English economy.

* Who is a Scotsman?  I was born and brought up in Wales but Ancestry says I am 75% Scottish (Shetland) and my surname is strongly linked with Gloucestershire, where I now live.

I understand that you may not like Brexit and that that might be your reasoning.  But Brexit isn't actually going to change very much for ordinary people.  The only difference is maybe having to pay slightly extra for some products from the EU.  And really if you think leaving a 60-year union with the EU was tricky how much harder would leaving a 400-year union be?

Furthermore independence would just make one of America's strongest allies a lot weaker both economically and geopolitically.  It's no surprise that Russian and Chinese state media support independence.

A lot of it's because Scotland is more left-wing than the rest of the UK and some people sympathize with them having a federal government run by Conservatives more often than not, almost none of whom coming from Scotland.

Also there's many left-wing Americans who view alliance with the EU as much more important these days than the UK, and the belief among them is that an independent Scotland would join the EU quickly and be a productive addition to the Union. And plenty of center-left Americans don't have love for the UK government and English in particular, and sympathize with people who want independence from London as we did and many others did as well.

I actually think there'd be a ton of barriers for Scotland to enter into the EU if they won independence, and I don't see how an independent Scotland outside of the EU would really benefit Scots. For that reason I lean No in terms of independence but I definitely understand the supporter's arguments.