I WAS privileged last week to briefly head down to Swansea to visit the Plaid Cymru conference as the fraternal delegate from the SNP. While there I also participated in an event on the main floor of conference, “The Celtic Nations In Europe”, with Sinn Fein, Plaid and the SNP discussing Brexit from our different perspectives.
There was a great deal of mutual respect and solidarity, but also a keen awareness uniting us that where we all understood each other well and were trying to support each other in finding solutions, we are dealing with a group of folks in Westminster who talk the language of unionism but actually put little effort into understanding (as they would see us) the constituent parts of the UK. It is on that contradiction that the UK union will end – the people who purport to be in charge of it aren’t actually that bothered.
But while it was great to reconnect with our friends in Plaid and see them in such good heart, it is SNP conference this coming week, and we’re all heading to the Granite City of Aberdeen to go catch up with old friends, meet new ones, debate, discuss and support each other.
I’m proud to announce that the SNP European Group is running a “fringe of a fringe” and we are jointly hosting six events throughout the conference to make sure that there is absolutely no doubt the SNP have the EU and internationalism running through our veins.
READ MORE: Senior European politician hits out at UK's 'odious' threat on security
Events over the three days featuring the likes of Kirsty Hughes, Susan Aitken, Tommy Sheppard and Philippa Whitford will explore the devastating impact of Brexit on Scotland.
The SNP are an internationalist party, and the EU is international solidarity in action. We have since the early days of the modern age and still seek normal, equal status in the world. There are plenty Brexit thunderclouds gathering not on the horizon but right on top of us, but I’m proud that the party have in every branch, every council chamber and each Parliament of current relevance to Scotland worked as a team with a united goal.
So many people want to stop the Brexit uncertainty, and there’s a real Brexit scunner factor out there. But the uncertainty comes precisely because we didn’t vote for independence in 2014.
If the people of Scotland were in charge of events we wouldn’t be here now. Scotland’s problems are coming from Westminster, not anywhere else, let us never forget that. Because it is clear from recent days that this UK coalition of vandals and nihilists are going to burn the building to the ground and blame everyone but themselves for the resulting fire. There is going to be an industrial scale spin operation to try to persuade you that the EU has been unreasonable, that Dublin has blocked progress, that the dog ate their homework, that the alarm didn’t go off this morning, whatever.
READ MORE: Brexit: Leave.EU post disgusting tweet about Angela Merkel
The fact is there’s no good Brexit, they know it and they’re trying to blame everyone else for their failures. Scotland knows better and the SNP have a duty to the people of Scotland to keep us informed and up to date with what is actually going on.
I’m looking forward to conference, of course, but I’m looking forward to the election more when we can throw these chancers out and replace them with pro-EU, sensible voices.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here