Quote Originally Posted by 500miles View Post
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Bad topic for the SNP to use to highlight an otherwise arguable point. These reforms were brought in despite a lack of general public support.
Two points I think are relevant looking at the polling, the recent polling appears to have been conducted on the behalf of right wing publications, Wings Over Scotland, or anti-GRA groups. However, back in February it would seem a majority approved of the legislation when the BBC was the source. It would be interesting to see who was involved as from what I can see in the media, online, and in my own experience, the two main groups opposed appear to be women, over a certain age, and men, again I think age will play a factor.

"Professor Sir John Curtice from Strathclyde University said: “If the views of the under 35s are indicative of the direction we are going, it may well be in ten or twenty years time what at the moment is the subject of intense debate perhaps will become less so.”"

Another point about public opinion and elected officials possibly being out of step is, they are voted in to act on the public's behalf, and generally remove consultation from decision making (The SNP had it in their manifesto, which provided the authority to act). This means they will be provided a great deal of independence in their actions, separate from possible public opinion, as we don't live in a country where referendums are commonplace on important issues.

A good example of that is the abolition of the death penalty, a majority of the public still supported it but lawmakers acted too remove it as they saw it as a wrong that needed to be righted.