"One party state" Definition: relating to or denoting a system of government where only one political party is permitted. relating to or denoting a system of government where only one political party is permitted.





"One party state" (Scot only) Definition: relating or denoting a system of government in which many different parties are permitted to stand and enjoy representation at every level of democratic government.





Composition of the Scottish Parliament at time of writing:





Total number of SNP MSPs: 64.

Total number of opposition MSPs: 63.

Percentage of governing party MSPs in parliament of "Nicola Sturgeon's one party state": 50%.

Percentage of opposition MSPs in parliament of "Nicola Sturgeon's one party state": 49%





Local government (2012)

Total number of SNP councillors elected in 2012? 425.

Number of councillors not in the SNP elected? 798.

Total number of local authorities subject to SNP majority control? 2 of 32 (6%)





European Election (2014)

Total number of SNP MEPs elected? 2

Number of non-SNP Members of the European Parliament, despatched to Brussels and Strasbourg? 4.





Westminster parliament (2015)

Number of SNP MPs elected? 56

Number of non-SNP MPs elected? 3.

Number of Scottish MPs contributing to the UK government's absolute majority? 1.





Unchecked single-party tyranny index (2015)

Total number of elected representatives in "Nicola Sturgeon's one party state": 1,416.

Total number of SNP politicians elected in "Nicola Sturgeon's one party state": 547.

Total number of non-SNP politicians elected in "Nicola Sturgeon's one party state": 869.





Totting up these figures, it looks like the First Minister's incipient tyranny needs serious work. SNP candidates control a mere 38.6% of seats in Holyrood, in Scotland's Westminster delegation, and in town halls and local authority offices across the country. If this is authoritarianism, it is singularly inept authoritarianism. Yet another area in which the Scottish Government has over-promised and under-delivered, no doubt. It is almost as if this is a deranged fantasy, or tabloid hyperbole, and Scotland isn't a one party state at all...



