HERE we go again! You know the Union is in a perilous place when Gordon Brown arrives on the scene with his “big clunking fist”. His proposal for a federal solution and further devolved powers for Holyrood is unlikely to persuade any but a few.
Of course, Kezia Dugdale and Scottish Labour will support it. Most, however, will remember his intervention in 2014 and the Vow and the Smith Commission promises, all of which have failed to materialise. I hope the people of Scotland will have the sense not to swallow such empty rhetoric and hot air a second time.
It must be clear to all by now that those who advocate for the Union will not hesitate to deceive and mislead. Theresa May promised not to trigger Article 50 until agreement was reached with devolved nations and yet has failed to give any consideration to Scottish Government’s compromise proposals. She is about to start Brexit without much of a plan and apparently no fall-back position. She whinges and whines that Westminster is going to be too busy with Brexit to give any thought to the new ScotRef.
This problem is not of Scotland’s making; we voted resoundingly to remain in EU. It is all of her own party’s doing.
With but one Tory MP in Scotland and only 37 per cent of UK vote share, May has no democratic mandate or credibility to stop a new referendum.
And now I notice some of the more strident opponents of independence are suggesting voters in the next referendum should satisfy a five-year residence qualification. I suspect this is an attempt to deny EU citizens the vote, as they may now be inclined to vote Yes rather than be duped as they were in 2014.
To be even-handed, this restriction would also have to be applied to all not born in Scotland. I am not suggesting we should agree to this but the arithmetic might suit the Yes campaign?
It looks like ScotRef is getting under way, Project Scare is winding up and battle lines are being drawn.
Bring it on and let us get the job done this time.
JF Davidson
Bonnyrigg
THE intervention by Gordon Brown to make more promises on “federalism” when he is in no position to deliver on them was an embarrassing sight.
Mr Brown was simply rehashing his Loanhead Miners Club speech. None of the things he promised ever came to pass.
The Unionist media is particularly craven towards Brown. They clearly feel, as Brown does, that he has achieved lots and has suffered on behalf of the people of Scotland. They feel Scotland is somehow “demeaned” if Gordon Brown doesn’t have some meaningful position.
Mr Brown has to appear before hand-picked audiences of party hacks as he can’t stand being challenged.
His record as chancellor and prime minister is woeful. He sold off the UK gold reserves at an all-time low price. This cost the country £5 billion.
This was also the price of fraud and error in his tax credits fiasco, which left some of the poorest with no money. His raid on private pensions led to a loss of £100bn and his obsession with PFI contracts has left a £300bn legacy which future generations will have to pay.
All of these, however, are a drop in the ocean compared to his disastrous £1.6 trillion bail-out of the banks.
This was due in part to the “light-touch regulation” of the bloated financial sector Brown championed during his 10 years as chancellor.
Gordon Brown was in a position to deliver “federalism” while in Downing Street for three years.
The fact he didn’t shows his assurances are worthless and should be put in the dustbin of history.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee
AS Gordon Brown weighs in on indyref2, it is clear that, like many politicians, he thinks the electorate have no memories.
Does Gordon not realise he’s STILL not been forgiven up here for his bull-in-a-china shop interference during the dying days of indyref1?
In case there are some goldfish readers out there, this is what happened: Gordon took to the media to scare the pants off everyone, claiming the economic bogey man would eat us all if we voted Yes. (Oh, and the only way to stay in Europe was to vote No!!)
Amanda Baker
Edinburgh
THEY must be really worried – Gordiezilla has been released already to preach the faith to the unbelievers and crunch the bones of anyone who dares question the wisdom of “The Precious Union of Nations” (copyright Theresa (Gollum) May).
To mark this historic and yet repetitive event I submit a small poem for posterity:
Ode to Gordie!
How now Brown Vow What’s this I see before me Is it the ghost of Labour past To lead us all to Glory?
Is it a prophet from on high To show us Scots the way?
A messiah from nearby Fife Or just a stooge of Theresa May?
He claims to know the secret He can lead us to the light But in the wise, wise words of our dear Mhairi Black I do believe he’s just talking a lot of utter shite!
I thank you!
John Murphy
West Lothian
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Treatment of our MPs is rude and disgraceful
THE claim of the PM that we are a family of equals will be disproved incontrovertibly to any fair-minded or unbiased viewer who watches Prime Minister’s Questions being broadcast on Wednesdays.
The treatment of our MPs by Government ministers, the PM herself and also on some occasions by the Speaker, is often plainly rude and frankly disgraceful. Examples are failure to answer questions, verbal interruptions not admonished by the Speaker, sneering remarks directed at our MPs allowed without comment, and – by far the most glaring example – the non-attendance by vast numbers of members who retire to the bars or tearooms thereby denying themselves the opportunity to hear a statement, only to reappear for the division and vote down the proposal.
If the PM really believed her own rhetoric she would alter her behaviour and that of her party. Her latest statements on Scottish independence clearly indicate her fear of emulating Lord North some 230 years ago, and it would seem she has no intention of considering Scotland, or for that matter either Wales or Northern Ireland as equals in her “precious Union”.
John Hamilton
Bearsden
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