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So the leader of the ISP and a colleague had a Q&A with Yes Stirling tonight. There was some pretty interesting comments made I'd thought I'd mention. I would have presented a video, but the ISP didn't want the meeting recorded. A short thread.
Will the ISP join AFI?
No, they won't. Colette Walker said she was annoyed at how much publicity the AFI were receiving and said the ISP didn't support the AFI approach. She also said she hasn't received communication from AFI since September.
No, they won't. Colette Walker said she was annoyed at how much publicity the AFI were receiving and said the ISP didn't support the AFI approach. She also said she hasn't received communication from AFI since September.
How many members and candidates do the ISP currently have?
Colette Walker and Iain McGoade didn't answer the question.
Colette Walker and Iain McGoade didn't answer the question.
The ISP's constitution is centralised and is completely controlled by 5 people. Is such a centralised structure good for party democracy?
Colette justified it by saying the EC approved the party structure. She later said members could maybe change it later.
Colette justified it by saying the EC approved the party structure. She later said members could maybe change it later.
The ISP were asked if their vetting had picked up David Cook's (ISP social media head) xenophobic comments.
Collette didn't answer the question, but said the SNP also have this problem and the xenophobic comment in question is "a matter of perspective." https://twitter.com/TheStirlingWolf/status/1260541341655797767?s=19
Collette didn't answer the question, but said the SNP also have this problem and the xenophobic comment in question is "a matter of perspective." https://twitter.com/TheStirlingWolf/status/1260541341655797767?s=19
ISP was asked why they are right on GRA reform but professional women's groups like Close the Gap, Engender, Equate Scotland, Rape Crisis Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid, Women 50:50 and Zero Tolerance (who support reform) are all wrong...
Collette replied that she doesn't claim she's right, it's just an opinion. She said she isn't transphobic. She wants to keep the Equality Act but stop self-ID. Iain McGlade said that the issue wasn't important just now, despitr having it in their manifesto.
Ian McGlade also suggested that the ISP didn't support EU membership and may prefer to just stick with EFTA membership.
Bte I'm tweeting live, the meeting is still on
So far the mood is pretty tough: very few Yes Stirling members think the risk is too great and it'll actually risk losing our pro-indy MSP Mark Russell.
Colette Walker is now talking about social security. She criticises the UK Government's approach and says more diversity within government departments is necessary. Cites the attitude in Scotland as an example (not very specific?).
ISP claim disgruntled voters will not vote SNP because they're not doing enough on independence so will vote ISP. Later they say Covid-19 has shot up the popularity of the SNP so voters will still vote SNP.
Ooft. Yes Stirling members calling out the ISP saying Greens do support Independence, since they're active in Yes Stirling and supported Alyn Smith in 2019. Yes Stirling taking no shit with lies.
The ISP would put *zero* caveats on supporting an SNP government and have said they'd encourage voters to vote SNP (which is likely to cause problems with the Electoral Commission if that's campaigned on though).
I wish I could record this, this is such a crazy car crash
The meeting has come to an end, now just a Yes Stirling meeting. But there you go!
Just realised, Colette actually said the ISP was being planned at least last September...when she was still an SNP member and stood for SNP women's Convenor.
