‘What we really wish to know ... and no-one us telling us, is how do we secure our independence” complains Peter Swain (Letters, January 18). Well, in the last week we have had two columnists in the Sunday National and The National obliging him.
Hamish MacPherson (Back in the Day: The lessons to be learned from the Treaty of Union, Jan 16) recommends that a majority of votes in the next UK General Election would be a “mandate” for a Section 30 indyref, on London’s refusal of which our “elected representatives” should meet and vote to end the Union.
George Kerevan (Scotland must use its sovereignty now, in defiance of fools who run UK, Jan 17) proposes that Holyrood should set a budget outwith Westminster rules. If struck down, SNP and Greens should resign from Holyrood, precipitating a Holyrood election, victory in which would be a mandate for independence.
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Helpful? What those two formulae share is the notion that the operative crisis is to be brought about by London acting contrary to our wishes. I hope that neither of the authors seeks to imply that Scotland’s move to independence depends on what London does or doesn’t do, or to put it more boldly, that independence is not possible unless London crosses us.
The simple truth of the matter is that Scotland can go independent entirely at its own hand, by two simple steps:
1) A legal, democratic plebiscite of the people of Scotland on whether we should go independent (either in a legally sanctioned referendum, or in a Westminster or Holyrood general election under the appropriate manifesto), and
2) A majority Yes vote in that plebiscite.
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The only role which London could insist on is to try blocking a referendum, but that power is not clear and would have to be endorsed by the Supreme Court. London could not block an election. Following a Yes vote, our MPs as our Union representatives would have full democratic authority and legal capacity to take Scotland out of the Union.
That being the case, we should stop mucking about as if the road to independence was some bizarre obstacle course. Our efforts should be solely directed at getting the Scottish Government to put their Independence Referendum Bill up to Holyrood without further delay, and to get them to prepare to make the next general election a plebiscite on independence in case their referendum effort is actually blocked.
Greg Campbell
Motherwell
SCOTLAND is treated with utter contempt in the UK Parliament. As the leader of the third-largest party in the House of Commons, Ian Blackford MP gets the right to ask a question at every PMQs but each time he does so he is treated with ridicule.
The latest incident saw the current Prime Minister make a show of checking his watch during Blackford’s question about the number of deaths from Covid. This spoilt brat of a Prime Minister doesn’t realise that how he treats Blackford is seen as a reflection of how the Tories treat Scotland. Now we also have the ridiculous proposal that democracy is to be overruled in Scotland with the House of Lords deciding on Sewel Motions – effectively seeing unelected British political cronies overruling our elected MSPs!
Enough is enough. Why are we sitting by as a bystander in our own future, forever watching and waiting on more abuse and contempt from the British political establishment. It really is well past time that our campaign for independence stepped up a few gears. If Boris Johnson is struggling to retain his job then how focused will he be on trying to stop our independence? Let’s pile more pressure on the crooked Tory Cabinet and get out campaigning for Independence ASAP.
Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley
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