YET again Labour are trying to pull the wool over voters’ eyes when it comes to a second independence referendum. Only a few days ago Jeremy Corbyn was saying he might allow it if he becomes Prime Minister and now today their current leader in Scotland, Richard Leonard, has said their next manifesto would explicitly rule out support for a second referendum.
Corbyn is trying to attract disaffected Labour voters who have become increasingly attracted to independence as a solution to the troubles the UK is landing itself in, believing that not ruling out an indyref will bring them back into the fold and increase his chances of becoming Prime Minister. However, Corbyn has proven he has no idea or even interest in what happens in Scotland and his support for indyref would soon disappear if he found himself in 10 Downing Street.
Leonard is now trying even harder to out-Tory the Tory party. He saw the Tories jump ahead of Labour as the party of the Union and his stance is to attract the hardcore Unionist vote. For him, Scotland is subservient to the UK and nothing will change that. Like Ruth Davidson he is happy to sacrifice Scotland’s economy (and the wellbeing of its people) to try to save the UK’s flatlining economy.
These two recent comments by Corbyn and Leonard also highlight the breakdown in communication within the Labour party. Corbyn’s team must be annoyed that Leonard’s move has effectively undermined Corbyn’s attempt to attract indy supporters back to Labour. It’s clear that Labour is a party in turmoil and no-one has any clear vision for this failing party.
Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon warns Richard Leonard ruling out indyref2 will leave Scottish Labour 'alienated'
LONDON is almost guaranteeing a General Election soon, and with Labour now advocating a second EU referendum, in the short term we might want to let Westminster set the date for indyref2. Scotland’s government should stand behind a new EU plebiscite, but Holyrood should insist there should be two ballots in Scotland on that particular day – one on Scots restoring the full powers of our parliament, the other on remaining in the EU, with both to be uniquely Scottish votes, arguing that if a backstop can be found for Northern Ireland then it can also be found for Scotland.
Let England fight its EU referendum, while simultaneously dividing its media’s effectiveness as it makes every attempt to counter Scotland’s resurgent voice. In a case like this, it’s far from the bounds of possibility that the Leave vote will remain strong south of the Tweed, while the Remain voices will increase north of Solway. We should also anticipate that a good percentage of Scots will prefer to make their own decisions in future, as they’ve now seen first-hand the utter omnishables created when they allow their destiny to be placed in the hands of Little England’s voting public.
It should be quite simple – the plebiscite will already have been arranged by Westminster, Holyrood need simply add a second paper in order to solicit public opinion on the indyref2 mandate which exists today.
One could also apply this to any snap General Election that might be called, and at this time we should expect one before Brexit, as it’s now becoming quite clear to even that dimmest of lights amongst the current cadre of the leaders of the 28 EU nations that this job is clearly beyond her abilities. Why keep the poisoned chalice, when there’s a nice retirement package waiting with the added bonus of not being the PM who presided over the most disastrous instant in modern British history, possibly since the Act of Union itself, also founded in lies, cheating and bribery?
Holyrood should recall that adage, “fortune favours the brave”, especially when we consider that this time we can count upon the vote of almost all EU nationals, taking the 2014 vote to a statistical dead heat. If we can’t push it over the edge from there, starting a good 20 points higher in the polls, its very much arguable that the question should indeed be dead for a generation.
As a nation, if we have the opportunity to vote in a decisive manner while our opponent has their resources divided, who could ever argue in that instant that it’s beyond time for Scotland to stop navel-gazing?
Ashley MacGregor
East Kilbride
READ MORE: Leading Tories dismiss rumour of an autumn snap General Election
NOW there’s a surprise. Instead of shooting the Labour party in Scotland in the foot as usual, Richard Leonard has just shot it in the head.
The Scottish Claim of Right, put together under the supervision of the late Donald Dewar, established the right of the Scottish people and nobody else to decide how and by whom they are governed. It was signed by all of Scotland’s parties and all of Scotland’s elected representatives except the Tories and on July 4 this year the Westminster Parliament voted to confirm this.
But Leonard says a UK Labour government will refuse Scotland this democratic right, which is also enshrined in the United Nations Charter.
Bye bye, Scottish Labour.
David McEwan Hill
Argyll
READ MORE: Labour's next manifesto will promise to oppose an independence referendum
LOOKING for some light entertainment on Sunday afternoon I came across the Labour Party Conference and I was disgusted to hear the session chairman say to a lady who had just been called to speak: “Was that you ‘crossing’ yourself? Maybe I should not have called you.”
It seems the Labour Party not only has a problem with anti-Semitism and Islamophobia but we can now add Roman Catholics and High Church of England, both of whom use the sign of the cross. I do not know who the character was but he did have a west central Scotland accent.
It is long overdue for Corbyn to get a grip of such behaviour and rid his party of these people and all their sectarian bile. I do know that if Derek Mackay made such a comment at SNP conference then he would face instant removal from the conference and the party.
Charlie Gallagher
Shetland
READ MORE: Anti-Catholic comment at Labour conference sparks condemnations
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