AS support for and against independence remains finely balanced in the polls, it is essential that independence supporters turn out in force and use both their votes for the SNP at the upcoming Scottish election in order to exert the maximum pressure on the UK Government to respect Scotland’s right to determine its own future.
Now is the time for the independence movement to come together with a renewed unity of purpose focused on securing a second independence referendum. It would be a tragic error at this time, when the Unionist vote is so divided, for the pro-independence vote to fragment among the smaller independence-supporting parties – none of which are polling anywhere near the 6% required to secure a list seat.
At the last Scottish Parliament election, the electorate returned a pro-independence majority. The SNP won 64 seats, just one short of the 65 seats needed for a majority. As we know, the UK Government disregarded the pro-independence majority, and used the failure of the SNP to win an outright majority as an excuse to reject demands for a second independence referendum.
Just one more MSP elected for the SNP from a constituency, or on a regional list, would have made all the difference. It would have secured an overall majority for the SNP and would have deprived the UK Government of their excuse for denying a second referendum.
So, an SNP majority is essential to force the UK Government to either accept the mandate for a second referendum or abandon any pretence of respect for democracy in Scotland.
With numerous polls now showing support for independence at or above 50% and the Unionist vote split four ways between Labour, Tory, Reform UK and LibDem, this election represents a historic opportunity to re-energise the independence campaign by repeating the achievement of 2011 and delivering an overall SNP majority. The latest analysis featured in last week’s Sunday National predicts the SNP would win 62 seats, just three seats short of the 65 required for an overall majority. So, the result of the regional list seats could be absolutely critical to the SNP’s prospects of securing a majority.
Every independence supporter needs to consider how they can best use both their votes to advance the cause of independence.
A vote for any other party runs the risk of splitting the “independence vote” and needlessly handing the seat to the Unionists. It is as simple as that.
We owe it to future generations to put past divisions behind us and to focus all our efforts on securing a historic majority for the SNP at the election in May.
We know we can’t make the progress we all want to see on the economy, the environment, social justice, foreign policy and a host of other areas without the full powers of independence. Independence must be the priority.
The message is clear, both votes SNP.
Robin Thompson
Symington
IN Monday’s paper, we had Pete Wishart taking up the mantra of both votes SNP. No doubt this task will go all the way to John Swinney before the election in May. However, regardless of the messenger, the attack on the wider independence movement will potentially be very damaging to the causes of maintaining a pro-independence government at Holyrood and ultimately achieving independence.
It saddens me enormously to see our movement split by the major party, the SNP, thinking they are the only show in town. Their forecast 37% is nowhere near enough to force a referendum or win independence. Their poisoned chalice of running a devolved Scottish parliament and their refusal to take the bold decisions which would fundamentally improve Scotland and lead a sufficient majority to force independence means our cause has stalled. This at a time when the two traditional big UK parties are on their knees. Can the SNP not accept that united we stand, divided we fall?
Sadly, no, all we get from Pete Wishart is the party me, me, me. I am not advocating any political party, I am not a member of any, my motivation is to maximise and generalise the representation of our movement.
Pete Wishart describes achieving a “super majority” as bunkum, not voting two votes SNP as “undermining the proportionality of the parliament” (does he mean achieving 62 MSPs out of 73 constituencies?), and most outrageously says “even if most of the 29% who currently intend to vote SNP on the list were to switch to another party, it would not create another single additional independence supporter”. He is correct, however, that “Unionist MSPs are there because people voted for their parties” but their number is such because so many SNP second votes were wasted.
I justify wasted as follows: using the 29% intending to second vote SNP within my Lothian region. The SNP won seven out of nine constituency MSPs in 2021. The second vote is handicapped by dividing it by the number of constituencies won plus one. If this result was achieved in May, this would result in the SNP vote of 29% being divided by eight, giving the SNP a handicapped vote of 29/8=3.6%.
In spite of polling by far the most votes, a minimum of 5%+ is required to win even the 7th seat allocated so there is no chance of the SNP winning any list Lothian seats. Even if the SNP lost two constituency seats, their handicap would be 29%/6= 4.8, still too few. This argument holds for a least six of the eight Scottish regions.
I agree with Pete Wishart when he urges voters to “make yours count”. Let the SNP canvass on doorsteps to get their constituency vote out but I urge them not to stand list candidates in the regions they know they have no chance of achieving list seats. Maybe this respect to the wider movement might result in fewer votes for other independence-supporting parties in constituencies. This split vote will prevent the SNP winning a few constituencies. The SNP stand a better chance of winning more MSPs doing this than following their two votes SNP line.
Second vote SNP, elect more Reform MSPs.
Campbell Anderson
Edinburgh
