IT would appear that the duplicitous British nationalistspeople who drafted the Scotland Act (1998) had the intention of locking Scotland into perpetual Union with England with no lawful means of exercising our democratic will to remove ourselves from said Union at some point in the future, despite verbal assurances from politicians like Donald Dewar at the time, who stated that there should be no limit on our devolved parliament’s ambition – including independence – should the Scottish people so desire.

On Wednesday the Supreme Court interpreted the Act so as to prohibit any expression of democratic will in the form of a referendum. I thank the judges for that clarity as we now know the true nature of this Union.

The political landscape has changed totally as a result of the judgment. In effect, the British state has thrown down the gauntlet, which now requires a suitable response from the Scottish Government.

A de facto referendum may have been an appropriate plan B last week and may still come to pass, although does anyone really have any faith in the democracy-denying British state to recognise a result, even assuming independence parties can achieve a majority of seats/votes?

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: Supreme Court ruling has 'galvanised' Yes movement across Scotland

We cannot continue with business as usual for up to another two years while our natural resources are plundered and our people increasingly struggling to make ends meet. This is a national emergency. We cannot allow our Scottish Government to take the flak from British nationalist media and politicians for attempting to manage a disintegrating economic situation over which they have no control.

Leadership is now required. I propose that we inform the oligarch Rishi Sunak that we intend to remove our MPs from Westminster unless he agrees to a Section 30 order.

If no agreement is forthcoming, the MPs are withdrawn and they continue to carry out their constituency work while providing a powerful block of politicians advocating for independence as part of a Constitutional Convention or similar.

The constitutional issue could be in danger of drifting over the next two years, however, withdrawal of the MPs would be a major media event and keep independence in the public consciousness on a daily basis.

Many of us have been campaigning since 2012, some have been campaigning for a lifetime. As convener of a Yes group and life-long SNP member I don’t believe you can expect people to continue to throw their time, energy and money at a campaign without some specific tangible purpose.

READ MORE: Scotland in Union starts fundraiser to stop SNP de facto referendum

If a constituent part of the Union were to withdraw its MPs, that would not be a good look for the UK which is already held in some contempt by the international community for its behaviour over Brexit, the Northern Ireland Protocol etc.

Our opponent has demonstrated that they are no supporter of democratic rights with respect to Scotland, therefore the time for playing the Westminster game is now well and truly over. We need to show that we’re serious. Inform Sunak of our intention and if no Section 30 order is forthcoming, get the MPs back home. Decisive leadership – now.

Alan Calder (Convener)

Yes Strathaven

THE Supreme Court ruling is of course in the context of a “Union” signed up to in 1707 by a small group of affluent Scots parliamentarians, which was not the democratic will of the people of Scotland and was extremely unpopular. Some 315 years on and we are still tethered by the actions of those to whom Robert Burns referred as “sic a parcel o’ rogues in a nation”.

I wonder what Mr Burns would make of Wednesday’s pronouncement?

James Dippie

Dalry