I READ with interest the responses of a number of columnists to the question of a Section 30 refusal, but I did not feel they take us forward.
The Dug’s suggestion of using the Claim of Right was about the best idea, but how do we enforce it when the British Government routinely ignores the law? It retrospectively changed immigration law to render people illegal immigrants and routinely ignores tribunal rulings which go against them, especially in welfare matters. They constantly talks about Scotland needing permission, so why are they suddenly going to capitulate? They have been consistently callous to the plight of the destitute in this country, the destitute they have in a sense created. Historically both Labour and Conservative parties connived to suppress the truth about Scotland’s oil wealth. They stood together 4 years ago and since to keep their precious Union alive. If they could work out a coherent policy on Brexit we would have some clue what’s happening at the end of the month. They are both totally obsessed about their own parliamentary fortunes and don’t care about Scotland. Why would they start playing fair?
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Can we base a campaign on the refusal of “permission” for indyref2? No, because Unionists don’t care and don’t want a referendum. Can we get through by pointing out that they are stealing Scotland’s powers and may end up abolishing the Scottish Parliament? No, because for them the proper government is in Westminster, and Holyrood is just an unnecessary extra layer of government. They don’t care about Scotland losing powers.
Robin McAlpine has argued that we should win over No voters gradually, and do what then? How is that going to make the Government refusing a referendum more painful than granting it? Labour risking political annihilation in Scotland has already happened. How did that help get another referendum? Keeping toiling in the national cause (Michael Fry) – aren’t we already doing that? Putting our weight behind a People’s Vote (Lesley Riddoch) is double edged because a sizeable minority of SNP voters don’t want to be in the EU, so don’t want another EU vote, certainly not before the first one is enacted. And the elephant in the room is that Scotland would be made subject to a confirmatory independence vote, in effect having to vote twice for independence.
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I think it is being extremely hopeful that political liberals in the UK will be sympathetic to Scotland having been so hard done by. Going into the 2021 election on a ticket of another indyref (Kevin McKenna) – why would anyone vote SNP in that scenario? They have already elected the SNP on that mandate, and we have a triple mandate for indyref2. If we don’t use it now, why would they believe us again? What would we be saying anyway – that we think voters didn’t know what they were voting for last time? We have to make sure they know what they are voting for. If the strategy is to make 2021 independence versus the Union, I think it would fail, as I believe the Unionist parties would divvy up seats between themselves with whichever Unionist party had the best chance in a seat versus the SNP and it could wipe out the SNP.
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Mike Small argues we should be involved in civil disobedience to win a plebiscite. How would that be better than holding a unilateral referendum? That would just make criminals of the indy movement and I think get us nowhere. Andrew Wilson feels the UK Government would become irretrievably damaged in the eyes of the world by being seen as undemocratic, but why would it care? And I don’t think pushing support in the polls over 50% (Dave Thompson) making refusal of a vote untenable would work either. Why would the UK Government care what the polls say? And I do not share Marc Aitken’s belief that independence in Europe is the way to save Scotland’s NHS. He has heard of CETA, no doubt, which is just TTIP by another name and which was foisted on us by the EU, the same EU he hopes will save us.
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No matter the mood music from the EU, do not forget they opposed Scottish independence last time. They are happy now that Scotland is annoying the UK, but when push comes to shove, they won’t back Scotland against the UK. I said before that we could become Catalonia, and I still believe that. Another thing worth noting is that for most of the UK, what is happening in Scotland is an irrelevance. If you’ll pardon the pun, Scotland is another country, one they don’t understand at all, and care about less.
I confess I am at a loss as to what happens if (when) Section 30 is refused. I hope though for an early indyref2 as I fear if it is not held soon, the chance will go for decades.
Julia Pannell
Tayside
WITH the independence option becoming more apparent should we not be running an information campaign that will remind independence supporters of the wrongs inflicted upon Scotland as a result of being part of an unfair Union?
Only after informing independence supporters with this information will they be able argue the independence case. Let’s supply independence supporters with the information required to respond to the Unionist trope that Scotland is well looked after by Westminster
Jack Brunton
Musselburgh
THE Punch and Judy Show at noon every Wednesday in Westminster is required viewing.
The extraordinary noise emanating from the Tories is reminiscent of a colony of sea lions punctuated by the Speaker’s “orrrdaaar, orrrdaaar” that has become an instant hit in the corridors of the European Parliament’s Espace Léopoldis in Brussels where it never fails to raise a laugh. The stage is set for a bizarre piece of theatre that’s intention is to thoroughly confuse those who would like to know how deep the precipice is that we are just about to jump into.
But the most extraordinary part of the show illustrates with great clarity that either Tory MPs have forgotten about live cameras and microphones or they have assumed people outside of England don’t watch, perhaps they just don’t care how they behave.
The manner in which SNP MPs, representatives of the Scottish people, are routinely jeered at by the Tories and repeatedly lied to by Theresa May has shown in the starkest terms possible how contemptuous they are of Scotland. All the Yes movement needs to do to further the cause is to show clips from the Punch and Judy show.
Mike Herd
Highlands
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