IN the present First Minster of Scotland, and in her immediate predecessor, Scotland is blessed with two of the most adept and formidable politicians of their respective generations. It is this that makes the action of the current First Minister in tethering the trajectory of independence to the mediation of the present medical exigency so unfathomable, and so potentially fatal.
If a week is a long time in politics, then the further future is a realm unknown, even to the present First Minister: Reference recent political turbulence in Northern Ireland.
The World Health Organisation has been schooled in the art of obfuscation and intransigence by the Chinese authorities, and it is possible that the source and origin of the present pandemic may remain unverified. To date, there is no coherent agreed international protocol or convention for pandemic planning or pandemic interdiction: reference international progress on the global heating emergency.
READ MORE: SNP branches must use conference motions to push for indyref in 2021
Ten Tory years and more of politically motivated austerity, corruption in public office, disinvestment, the hollowing out of the public and civic realm, and the theft of public assets is also ground fertile enough for the spread of pandemic. Given this, the depth and extent of the current medical exigency is, in one register, part political structure.
If none of the above is instruction enough for the Scottish political leadership, then the hitching of independence to the pandemic wagon is as futile as awaiting the ascendance of Toryism as a philosophy of the redistribution of common wealth to anyone other than their political donors and political confederates.
Perhaps it is time for the current First Minister to remove herself from the territory carefully prepared for her by the zealots and fantasists of English nationalist imperialism and instead to school these same in the art of visionary politics.
Every day that passes is a day further away from independence and a day further ensnared in the poisoned web of Westminster corruption and obscurantism.
Keith Steiner
Cornhill, Aberdeenshire
WHEN I wrote to you expressing my frustration about the slow progress towards indyref2 (Letters, June 12), I was of course aware of the urgency to get Covid under control, but also to convince a bigger percentage of folk to support independence. While the former is being addressed competently, nothing seems to be happening about the latter, and if I hear another party spokesperson say “Nicola will make an announcement about independence soon” I will stand and scream obscenities outside Holyrood!
Alex Salmond announced the date of the first referendum on March 21 2013, giving 18 months for the Yes movement activists to interact with people, resulting in the massive increase in support for independence from about 28% right up to 45%.
READ MORE: It is not wise of the SNP leaders to keep Yes supporters in the dark
OK, it wasn’t enough, and we know why. Thus it is imperative for the SNP to urgently announce settled decisions about currency, pensions, the date for indyref2 etc etc, so that activists do not have to campaign empty-handed.
After the surge of new members in 2014, the SNP should have sensed in which direction the wind was blowing, and reignited campaigned with renewed vigour. They didn’t, haven’t, and here we are still in limbo. My local Yes group got together again almost immediately, and before the virus were meeting regularly. Even now we are still being active in a responsible way with flag-waving on bridges, and an informative banner campaign.
While my patience has worn very thin, I do see the sense in not holding indyref2 when the polls are showing roughly 50/50%, but support will not increase by osmosis! I agree with other writers that it is not necessary to wait until the virus is defeated completely before we are campaigning again – if Boris Johnson could negotiate his disastrous Brexit deal during the pandemic, then there are ways we can engage with our community without endangering safety.
Every day delayed is another day for the Unionist to plot and plan obstacles to our freedom.
Richard Walthew
Duns
READING the online reaction to Ruth Wishart’s article in Monday’s paper, I am strongly reminded of the words of my late father – “Those who can do, those who can’t criticise.’”
Am I the only person who wonders what would happen if most of the people commenting applied half the energy, intelligence and vigour expended on telling Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP what they are doing wrong to instead talk, debate and persuade Unionists to change their minds?
READ MORE: Ruth Wishart: ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more’
Perhaps if they did, instead of sitting at around 50% opinion polls would show an overwhelming majority of Scots wanting independence. When will the Yes supporters learn to stop tearing each other apart and instead start challenging and engaging with No voters? If I was Boris or DRoss and read these comments, I’d be having a good laugh to myself.
By the way, I have been a believer in independence for more than 30 years.
Andrew Haddow
via email
IT was disappointing that, as part of the recent G7 summit, Joe Biden cooperated with Johnson in the renewal of the Atlantic Charter charade. It simply allowed Johnson to indulge in his ludicrous identification with Churchill.
As ever, though, Johnson’s inattention to detail allowed him to score an own goal. He really will not want to be reminded of the original Atlantic Charter signed by Roosevelt and Churchill, which included the proviso that the signatories respected “the right of all peoples to choose the form of government under which they will live.” We Scots, however, would be glad to see the UK Government hold to this excellent principle.
Gavin Brown
Linlithgow
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