I CANNOT remember being more horrified and depressed than I was yesterday morning as I heard the comments on the radio anent the Herald on Sunday interview with Andrew Wilson.
This is the man whose Growth Report is scaring more people away from independence than towards it, with its threat of continuing austerity and keeping sterling for years etc.
It is a report based almost entirely on the present economic philosophy and system, drawn up by someone who has spent his working life within those parameters but seems to believe that we could use the same basis, but just do it better over time.
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Now we hear that he wishes he could bring Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling on board with his proposed plans for an independent Scotland. Three of those who most clearly exemplify all that has been wrong with the past 20-30 years Scotland has endured under their control! And he is being regarded, evidently, as “the brains” behind the SNP planning for an independent Scotland!
I believe even Andrew Wilson himself accepts that his plans would not have worked well in the present crisis, so why on earth is the SNP hierarchy still thirled to this report, and why on earth would they want the architects of what we want to escape being involved in planning for a better future? Is it because they commissioned the report?
Does everything have to have the stamp of SNP authority on it? There are so many other respected experts studying things from a new perspective and coming up with practical, feasible solutions that could work far better and be more acceptable to those we want to persuade, such as Dr Craig Dalziell, Dr Tim Rideout and others. Those linked to or appointed by the SNP do not have a monopoly on brains.
On that point, Dr Tim Rideout has a very well-researched and detailed resolution proposed for conference, supported by a huge number of members and several branches. Whether or not it reaches the agenda may well answer these questions.
L McGregor
Falkirk
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