I AM delighted to see David Thompson as the vice-convenor of the Scottish Independence Convention (Indy convention calls for renewed campaign push, October 11).
Martin Hannan wrote that David Thompson is the former SNP MSP for the Highlands and Islands and also represents Christians for Independence. However, David’s claim to fame runs much deeper than that. I quote from the Scots Independent of June 2007, of which I was then editor: “On the day after the election, where the voting used for the new system was a shambles (step forward Douglas Alexander and Iain Gray, joint planners), SNP and Labour were neck and neck with the Highland Regional Vote still to come in. Up in Inverness the returning officer called the candidates together to tell them the results of the seven seats; he made it Labour four, Conservatives two and Green one.
“The SNP’s David Thompson had been watching the results all night long and spotted something was wrong. He challenged the figures. The Returning Officer (allegedly) said: ‘I suppose you want to see the figures?’ David said: ‘Yes, please’, his election agent Angus Walker backing him up. The Returning Officer went off and returned half an hour later with profuse apologies. The correct figures were three Labour, two SNP and two Conservatives. And that was enough to give the SNP 47 seats to Labour 46, and the first SNP government ever. As one of my closest friends, the late Chris Grahame, used to tell me: ‘Don’t forget, a handful of determined men can change the course of history’. David Thompson is one of that handful.”
This story is also quoted in Gordon Wilson’s book “Scotland -The Battle for Independence”.
Jim Lynch
Edinburgh
READ MORE: Scottish Independence Convention sends open letter to Yes movement
I READ in Thursday’s National the story ‘Indy convention calls for renewed campaign push’ and it reminds me if my innate dislike of the essence of the SIC. Not that I am against it per se, but how it is composed. Though there are wonderful people on it, it is a self-appointed organisation with
no democratic input and with others, I read, “co-opted”. In other words a quango! The very thing we’ve been complaining about Historic Environment Scotland recently – a self-appointed and unanswerable group.
I remember the SIC convention at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. It was all listen and no input. There was and is no democracy, no voting in, and it is just”co-opting” on to a self-appointed board. It insults every democratic bone in my body.
I do also remember one member totally disparaging Gaelic in the 90s, and yet they present themselves now as the protectors of all things Scottish. The memories of Gaels are not that short and the comments are remembered!!
This is not the kind of Scotland I want to see – self-appointed quangos speaking for the plebs. They do not speak for me. I speak for myself – and the voices of the thousands on the AUOB march in Edinburgh speaks volumes more than this self-appointed and co-opted quango!!
Crìsdean Mac Fheaeghais
Dùn Èideann
READ MORE: The Scottish Independence Convention have answered our questions
BRAVO the audience member who pointed out – on Question Time on Thursday – the statistic that 88% of English Leave voters (ie a majority of all English voters) regard Scottish independence as “a price worth paying” to achieve their Little England dream of independence (from the rest of the world). Whether or not my poster (displayed, coincidentally, last Saturday within 50 metres of the Parliament building where Question Time took place) prompted this person is neither here nor there. What is important is that the wider Scottish, and English, public face up to the reality that the Union is expendable. Well past its sell-by date. Over.
Now Scotland can move on, and Saturday’s tremendous turn-out, and the SNP conference, confirm that the dream is not only not fading but much closer to realisation.
David Roche
Perth
READ MORE: English Tories happy for Scotland to leave UK
HOW kind it is of Michael Heseltine to explain to us poor, benighted, misguided Scottish nationalists just how pointless independence would be. He has, however (like Baroness Nicholson), done us an incidental service by reminding us of the moronic, patronising nature of English establishment opposition to our self-determination, in just the terms which will be seized on by the implacably No-minded among us. Does he (or she) not notice that in recent years both those lies have been comprehensively exposed and discredited? Really, either or both of these superannuated grandees might just as well have said “waffle blather piffle”, and made just as much sense.
Colin Stuart
Saline, Fife
READ MORE: Tory peer 'appalled' by idea of Scottish independence
FOR the benefit of Lord Heseltine, who seems to think nothing would change under Scottish independence, here are a few key changes that will happen. No more Scottish Government wasting hundreds of millions of pounds every year off-setting Tory attacks on the vulnerable such as the bedroom tax; no more rape clause to limit benefit claims; no more wasting billions on nuclear weapons, no more tax dodging from big business and, of course, the decisions on Scotland’s future will be made by those of us who live here.
Cllr Kenny MacLaren
Paisley
READ MORE: Letters: Ignorance of Tories like Heseltine is mind-boggling
I WAS disappointed to read, in her otherwise excellent column, Lesley Riddoch refer to Michael Russell as the MSP for Argyll (The FM needs to share the limelight, October 11). I was equally disappointed when Keith Brown at conference introduced him as the MSP for Argyll. Please, the constituency is called Argyll and Bute and the full title should be used at all times.
People from Bute have enough of a task ensuring our council leadership (blue in colour but independent in name) do not drop Bute from the constituency name. Michael Russell MSP and Brendan O’Hara MP represent the constituency of Argyll and Bute (and both are doing a great job).
David Coll
Rothesay, Isle of Bute
READ MORE: Sturgeon should share the limelight – and put trust in Team SNP
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