IT should be crystal clear to all those supporting Scottish independence that the Tories at Westminster and in Holyrood have laid out their battleground and tactics to deal with a post-transition Brexit and a pre-Holyrood election in 2021. Over the last few months they have brazenly used the emergency legislation agreed by Westminster to deal with the Covid epidemic to tighten their grip on controlling the future of the UK.
Direct attacks on the devolved governments of the UK and reneging on the EU withdrawal agreement, with a serious breach of international law which may lead to a hard border in Ireland. What is the reasoning behind such deliberate acts? It is quite clear that this Tory Government has put the future of the UK and the Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the centre of its political strategy to the exclusion of all else. This British nationalist Tory party is ready to put in place their version and vision of the Union as they see it.
Why now? Because the Tory party now “holds all the political cards”. They have an 80-seat majority in Westminster, a lame-duck opposition of Labour and the LibDems and powerless SNP MPs. They hold the purse strings, they have control of legislation and will soon be free of EU interference.
More importantly the majority of Tory MPs are now extremely right-wing and those who are not do little to challenge the leadership. The cabal that is now in place in Johnson’s government are handpicked zealots, Johnson, Gove, Rees-Mogg ably supported by Tory grandees and their slavish party in Scotland. To achieve their visionary Union – no ifs no buts, they are already putting their plan into action, no doubt spearheaded by Cummings who already has the plan worked out in extreme detail.
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What is the main stumbling block to the creation of this British nationalist dream? Well Scotland of course! Right now Scotland and its independence are the biggest threat to derailing the Tories drive to a reunited UK. Six years after losing the first referendum, Scottish independence seems very likely and they know it. Even murmurings in Wales and Northern Ireland of achieving independence are surfacing. Their strategy is deal with Scotland first and it’s no surprise that the onslaught has already begun. The attack on Scottish devolution is clear for all to see.
The UK Internal Market Bill gives the UK direct control and access to Scottish businesses and markets and simply side steps Holyrood legislation and policy-making. Scotland is witnessing an increased presence of UK meddling, UK Government hubs in Glasgow and Edinburgh from where direct funding of projects will take place, with EU ERDF and ESF funding to be supposedly replaced direct from Westminster.
The encouragement of pro-Union parties and anti-independence sentiment is being ratcheted up, supported by a hostile media. The Scottish Tories are now a direct tool of Westminster. Get ready for direct attacks to diminish our laws, our education system, transport and our separate health and social care structures. The mantra too poor and too wee will be at the centre of their strategy. Even our successful Covid strategy is being undermined.
So there we have it. Deal with the troublesome Scots first before the 2021 Holyrood election. As Lesley Riddoch has vividly pointed out the majority of the Scots do not trust the Tories and the Westminster Government and very much see the Scots as being able to go it alone. We need to capitalise, by not only outing the Tory machine at every opportunity but ensuring we show a clear vision for the future and do it NOW.
Dan Wood
Kirriemuir
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