WHY was I not surprised to read ‘Only SNP MPs show up for Scottish Affairs Meeting’ (The National, February 21)? The very fact that not one MP from any of the three parties could prioritise, diarise, make time to meet face-to-face with migrants, the agricultural sector, a union, Cosla and Highlands and Islands Enterprise shouts loud and clear: "You’re not of great significance to my head office, so don’t expect me to show up!"
I’ve had a look at the attendance records in Westminster and Scottish debates, or presenting either a case or rebuttal to the wider House, and you can imagine the dismal reading. Ross Thomson of Aberdeen South and his pitiful excuse of chasing Gove (albeit too late) over dog training collars shows detachment from needs and reality.
I appreciate that without sound, authoritative leadership from PM May, Brexit has become a bear pit for the Tories: fighting for prominence, fighting for ideology and to hang with constituents’ views or the country’s needs. Without Scottish policies – you must admit, "SNP Bad" and "no to another referendum" aren’t policies – and add to that a disappeared leader (wherefore art thou, Ruthie?), surely between the 13 of them there was one brain cell that could appreciate the value of dialogue, listening and learning in an effort to shape policies for Scotland. Even a token one in attendance? But no.
Turning to Labour with seven MPs. A party that is doing all it can to woo Remainers and students, with a selection of ever-changing, push-me-pull-me catchphrases and buzz words. Let’s face it, if there was a General Election and if Jeremy Corbyn was to get the key to the door, it wouldn’t be with votes from here. Labour knows that, and no amount of blustering during FMQs will transform the latest what’s-his-name into anything other than another failed attempt by a Labour wannabe First Minister. But with virtually nothing more than a cigarette paper between Tory hard Brexit and the vacillations of Labour and Corbyn, we see, tick by tock, that the UK with its Union majority in Westminster is not best served by Unionism. Afterall, if you have to bribe a small party with £1 billion to be in power, enough said.
So, where does that leave us? Without action by the 45 per cent, rUk can drag Scotland to the unenviable position of being that rump on the rump of empire somewhere in the north Atlantic.
We cannot allow politicians of any ilk to decide our fate. Our future, our fate. So, please, let’s mobilise, forget differences between aspects of parties and policies, or grassroots petty politics. We have to rekindle the radicalism of the past that saw belief in our abilities to self-govern as an independent nation.
Where is that message of self-determination? It was in the streets, meetings, pubs, clubs, the workplace, queues, as we chatted on buses and at the school gates. But where is it now? No political party created all of that in 2013-14: we did. Just what are we waiting for? Some starting gun, like: get ready, steady, go? I think we heard that with the Brexit result. We continue to hear the lies, the smoke-screening, and the troubling glimpses of what rUK could be like, post Brexit: a depleted rUK, inward-looking, protectionist, but not much further than the Watford Gap, with powers taken back, but back to Westminster.
Scotland cannot go on "mitigating", noe should we stand still as our democratic wishes expressed time and time again at the ballot box continue to be ignored. Do we need to make a case for indy, as we witness the failure of Westminster to govern, to pay heed to Scotland, the Irish border question and more. You’d think they’d never heard of doing the day job!
Let’s talk about the benefits of Holyrood and what we have achieved with one hand tied behind our back. If we don’t, who will? Time then to bring on the demos, gatherings, meetings, stalls, events, rallies, marches. If not, I’d hate to have to explain to the grandkids why we deprived them of a decent future and left them a Brexit shambles.
Selma Rahman
Edinburgh
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