FOR the past 10 years or so, the opinion polls for independence have hardly changed despite the fact that we have the worst and most dangerous government the UK has ever had.
Despite the fact Norway, with fewer resources than Britain, has an oil fund measured in trillions of dollars while we have thousands of food banks, pay the lowest pension in the developed world and one of the lowest benefit systems. Despite the fact that there are people working all week not having enough to live on, and all this in one of the richest countries in the world.
Despite the disgraceful behaviour of the government in the past few weeks in House Of Commons, despite being taken out of Europe against our vote to stay in etc, why is there no movement in the polls?
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Apathy equals acceptance, and that seems to describe the present situation we face.
I never thought I would live to see the day that Scotland “The Brave” would become Scotland “The Slave” to the wishes of others.
If your vote doesn’t count and your voice goes unheard, then others decide for you.
Could it be because there is a missing element in the independence movement, and that element is anger? Not just in the SNP but in the movement as a whole.
It was anger that fired the suffragette movement to action. It was anger that brought independence to the countries that Britain ruled.
Anger does not equal violence, it equals change, and if the vote for independence can be increased to a reasonable level, that alone will create the change required because that will be the voice of Scotland saying it wants change.
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It is lack of change that generates violence.
With anger, you do not ask what they will do, you tell them what you will do. But where is the voice of anger in the independence movement?
There are flag-waving marches where they are happy that everything was well-behaved. I doubt if the suffragette movement would have been happy with that.
The best government this UK has ever had was the Attlee government, with radical thought leading to radical action thanks to the genius of John Maynard Keynes. They created the health service, created full employment and built houses to get rid of the slums. What would they think of “the present lot”?
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Today’s politicians show very little in the way of radical thought. Indeed, if someone shows radical indications in the SNP they are immediately stamped on. So who will ignite the flame of anger to create change?
The voice of the unions has been strangled, Labour no longer exist as saviour of those in need, indeed they seem to rejoice in continuing the policies that have created the problems. Powder-puff politicians, filled with angry words but no action when their angry words are ignored. That is acceptance.
It is difficult to see who or what will ignite the flame but without it, nothing will change and apathy will continue to rule.
Oh would some power the giftie gie us, some politicians with a touch of genius.
William Marshall
Dundee
THE best “Long Letter” I have read in a very long while (Apr 1), and congratulations to Alan Crocket for giving us the fact that there is a clear route to independence if we simply return to first principles and abandon the ludicrous notion to keep asking for “permission” to hold another referendum when we know, full (or should it be “fool”) well that it will never, EVER, be conceded again by a Westminster government of any UK party of government.
That horse bolted with the near shock of their (meaning the British establishment’s) near loss in the one in 2014. The SNP leadership need to forget the “ask for a referendum” strategy going forward – it isn’t happening!
Back to the future – the SNP’s founding principle was “Vote SNP for Independence”. It was, should be, and is that simple.
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That first principle could not be simpler and should be re adopted in all future elections: a vote for the SNP is a vote for independence.
That needs to be on the SNP manifesto, as first, and repeated very clearly as the consequence of voting for the party.
No more wasting our time asking permission.
A majority vote for the SNP is the starting point of removing our representatives from Westminster and starting the process of re-establishing Scotland as an independent nation state.
I hope the current SNP leadership have read Alan’s letter and, more importantly, that those in the SNP government who are really interested in achieving our aim take effective action within the party to change the current catastrophic strategy.
With permission from Alan, I can only repeat his succinct comment as follows: “The simple fact is that, although Scotland cannot make its own referendum, the Scottish people can express their wish in an official, formal, democratic and legal process, and Scotland can act on that wish if it is in favour of independence”.
It really is that simple.
Let’s get that in the SNP manifesto and on the election ballot paper.
Ian Stewart
Uig, Isle of Skye
A GREAT day to launch the new Hate Crime Act in Scotland – with the usual suspects on the BBC finding every which way to argue against it and find flaws.
What I would like to know is why a very similar piece of legislation in England and Wales has been put on statute without the same reaction from the BBC.
You would almost think that if it is an SNP idea, it is bad regardless. I remember someone saying that if Nicola Sturgeon found the cure for cancer the BBC would find ways to suggest it was bad.
Winifred McCartney
Paisley
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