YOUR news item regarding the former Liberal leader David Steel – whom you say in his forthcoming lecture will call for the House of Lords to be replaced, to enable federalism across the UK as an alternative to Scottish independence – recalls memories of many years ago, when a new SNP branch (Berwick & East Lothian) was formed and had its meetings in the town hall of Haddington (News in brief, December 3).
This branch was headed by my deceased uncle DJ Mill Irving, being a retired UK ambassador at that time. As I was not deaf all those years ago, I filled in as secretary.
The flavour being mooted in political Scotland at that time was “Home Rule”, and with the increasing idea that the SNP and the Liberal Party had very similar thinking and outlook.
Our newly formed SNP branch felt it would have more political clout if the SNP and the then struggling Liberal factions could meet informally, purely for initial exploration and to further the idea but of necessity, strictly on the basis of absolute secrecy and along with no contact whatsoever with the press.
The initial meeting did not take place. Despite the branch insistence of absolute secrecy, there was a leak. Consequently the idea fell flat – who leaked what? That is a matter for conjecture. As time and political events currently unfurl, my activity in old age means I only now write and mostly read.
Therefore, I note the sad “has-beens” trying hard to invoke their past, and in most cases, wasted and politically incorrect efforts of trying to get into the act of our current politics. Gordon Brown, Maggie Thatcher, Tony Blair, John Major et al.
Now Lord Steel joins this band to muscle in. Does he think that the increasingly popular idea of a country running its own affairs will be usurped by the publicity of internal wrangling? Despite the ongoing stramash within the SNP and elsewhere, I am confident this dross will be sorted out and work well and soon. After all, it’s independence we are looking for to run and control our affairs for the good of our nation – there is no alternative. Let’s keep it going and ignore the unnecessary futile distractions reported in the Tory press.
W D Mill Irving
Kilbirnie
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