HE does not have his problems to seek at the moment having appeared in court again on contempt charges related to the Alex Salmond trial, so it was brave of former British ambassador Craig Murray to take time off to appear on IndyLive radio last week.
Glasgow Pensioners for Independence arranged the talk and some 60 people from across Scotland took part in the Q&A session.
Murray spoke about the international route to independence: “We think of independence as something that is internal to Scotland, about persuading enough people in Scotland to support it and persuading Westminster not to block it, whereas the independence of a state is about being recognised by other international states.
“The independence of a state is a condition of international law, it is not a condition of domestic law.”
Murray added: “A referendum is not a condition for becoming an independent state. It may be a political condition, but it is certainly not a legal condition.”
He continued: “There are other ways ... and nothing makes me more exasperated than to hear the 2014 referendum referred to as a gold standard.
“If we recall the Vow and the impact of the Vow on the result, breaking all the rules of purdah that was supposed to apply to the campaign, this was not a gold standard process.”
You can hear the talk and debate by visiting: www.pensionersforindependence.scot/2020/07/04/a-way-forward-to-independence.
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 hereComments are closed on this article