I WASN’T going to reply to the criticism of my suggestion, that Plan B should be made into Plan A, by Chris Duffy in Monday’s edition. However, I’ve just re-read a letter by George McKnight that appeared on June 10. In this he refers to the book, Restless Land: A Radical Journey through Scotland’s History by Alan McCombes and Ros Paterson.
He highlights the fact that this book reveals how the people of Scotland didn’t want the Union with England, and mentions subsequent efforts to regain our independence up to 1918.
READ MORE: Letters, June 15
Therefore, it seems there is a long history of Westminster denying the wishes of the Scottish people in respect of their desire to once again be an independent country. I have already stated that it is on record that at the time of the signing of the Treaty, the Westminster Tories (yes, believe it or not it was the Tories who were in power away back then!) stated: “We have catched Scotland and we will not let her go.” So, there’s no point in trying to be nice and patient and getting England to see sense. They have chosen not to for centuries and I see no reason for them to accede to any requests for a Section 30 Order that we may make.
This will undoubtedly continue for the duration of Boris Johnson’s reign as Dominic Cummings’s underling. He has already said he will not allow a Section 30 order during this parliament. So, as I see it, the independence movement has a choice. It can either accept that there will be no second independence referendum for at least the next five years, with all the damage that will bring to the Scottish economy, or it can choose to demand that the SNP start independence negotiations if there is an independence majority of MSPs at Holyrood following the election next May.
There has to be some sort of official representation on the part of the independence movement to the SNP to tell them that unless they start doing what they were elected to do, namely get us independence, we will stop voting for them and will find someone else who will get it. Maybe one of the new political parties appearing on the scene might fulfil the task.
In view of the way Westminster is behaving with the power grab following Brexit – the installation of the Henry VIII powers that allow them to make whatever decisions they wish without reference to parliament, and now grabbing more power by making the Department for International Development a part of the Foreign Office in London – there isn’t really any choice. They are slowly and methodically removing all power from Scotland, and with the installation of UK Parliament debating chambers now effected in Edinburgh, we will very soon find that we have no means to achieve independence or any worldwide representation without reference to London, and they are not going to give it.
As George McKnight correctly stated: “We need to get all the financial systems that will give us control over our taxation and revenues in place and then announce to Westminster that we are now becoming an independent nation.” No ifs or buts and no requests for any further discussion. The people have decided by means of the election so we are now leaving the UK. Full stop!
It’s that or remaining part of the UK forever.
Charlie Kerr
Glenrothes
THE correspondents who quoted a couple of Archie MacPherson’s commentary howlers (Letters, May 30) jogged my memory. I recall, prior to the 2014 referendum, in a newspaper poll of well-known Scots regarding independence, Archie loftily informed us that the idea of Scotland being independent is “absurd”. Perhaps that statement is Archie’s greatest howler.
Malcolm Cordell
Broughty Ferry
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