AN SNP MP has called on Nicola Sturgeon to immediately restart the campaign for independence.
Angus Brendan MacNeil said the party was being “hopelessly naive” to think they could pause the case for a Yes vote in the middle of a pandemic.
The Scottish Government had long said they planned on holding indyref2 this year, but postponed its planning last month due to the coronavirus outbreak.
MacNeil denied that ramping up campaigning for independence would be in bad taste. He accused Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw of using the crisis to make the case for the Union.
“I think our opponents will tell us its bad taste because they don’t want us to do it. The people themselves are receptive to argument.
“No amount of telling Jackson Carlaw it’s in bad taste to go shouting about the Union will stop Jackson Carlaw go shouting about the Union.”
He added: “We are being foolish if we imagine that because Jackson Carlaw told us to stop talking about independence we should stop talking about independence.”
The veteran MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said the UK Government’s refusal to extend the Brexit transition period and their strategy for tackling coronavirus helped make the case for independence.
He said: “I think if we had our hands unshackled, if we weren’t involved in the web around Cobra and the United Kingdom, we may find ourselves testing akin to Norway, Iceland, or Ireland.
“All of whom are different from each other, but one thing they have in common is that they’re better than the UK.”
READ MORE: Matt Hancock under pressure to copy Scotland's lockdown exit plan
In early March both the UK and Scottish governments moved from the containment phase of tackling coronavirus to the delay phase.
That effectively brought an end to testing and contact tracing those who had been around confirmed coronavirus patients.
MacNeil added: “We’re doomed at the moment.
“We’re in hock to whatever the Tories see fit, and that’s always going to be difficult as they’re always going to see it through the lens of the bankers and the financial institutions.
“If independence is something that’s going to change that then let’s campaign for independence.
“There’s no point going around, as we always do, asking the Tories to be sensible, let’s just do the sensible thing directly and have the power ourselves.”
In a recent interview Carlaw said making Scotland’s constitutional future a centrepiece of their campaign would hurt the SNP at next year’s election.
He said: “I think it will look ridiculous if the first debate that the nationalist movement want to have when we get to the other side of this is ‘let’s go gung ho for independence next year’ then more fool them if they do.”
The SNP did not respond to requests for a comment.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel