[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Soldier Boy

I think she's lost significant ground with female voters even amongst those who have been dutifully voting yellow for the last decade+. And I don't think any of it gained her any votes at all from the flipside. I don't think she realized that it's a genuinely divisive issue - usually when they play virtue politics, the only people they're upsetting are those who are already staunch unionists (le jambon) so she's been able to do it freely to bolster support whilst not turning anyone away - those complaining were never, ever going to vote SNP. I think she thought this was the same... that it was a "usual" social justice issue and that only Tories and co would be bothered.

It's a massive error. You only need to look at this forum to see that as a microcosm, any social-justice minded person who is looking at the situation through an objective lens will have at least some concern for women's rights, women's safeguarding or at the very least respecting women's voices. The tactic has been to sweep a hand and denounce it as "bigotry!", and in fact much confusion for some who can't get their head around "people who they didn't think were bigots suddenly being bigots". Because of course... in their mind that's the only possibility. These people are bigots who have been taken in by right-wing rhetoric. Somehow. On just this issue. Despite having managed to not be taken in by "right wing rhetoric" on any other issue ... just this one.

It couldn't be that the issue is more nuanced than they'll let themselves believe ... no! To entertain that, would be bigotry...

/ rant

But yes I think Sturgeon has basically done that. Didn't know enough about it, forged ahead thinking she was only going to piss off Blues, ended up pissing off people who have wholeheartedly supported her for years.

Yep. Yes to ALL of that.