I AM relieved that you have not censored George Kerevan’s attempt to explain why people are joining Alba (This could be the real impact of election success for the Alba Party, March 29).
I do wish the Nicola loyalists who have filled the letters pages for days would pause for a moment and ask why this is happening. It is far too simplistic to try to portray it as an ego trip. As I see it, Alba is an attempt to put the SNP back on the rails and, genuinely, to max the Yes vote. If it can do the latter – and looks more likely to do so than SNP 1 & 2 in all the regions except the South of Scotland and perhaps Highland – it will be helping the independence cause.
READ MORE: George Kerevan: This could be the real impact of election success for the Alba Party
Only the wilfully blind cannot see that the SNP need to be put back on the rails. Since 2016 they have just not been putting the case for independence. They explicitly excluded independence in the 2017 election and lost 500,000 votes, thus giving Davidson her high water mark. The arrival of Alba with their “vote SNP in the constituencies” message should make all those who were saying they would not vote at all this time think again.
Just look what the SNP have majored on since 2016. They spent three fruitless years trying to dissuade the English from Brexit. They have painted themselves into a corner by insisting the only route for us is to go, begging bowl in hand, to plead for a Section 30 order. They have stuck rigidly to the recommendations of the Growth Commission despite being told by their members through the National Assemblies which were held that these were unacceptable.
READ MORE: Douglas Ross says Scottish Tories could stand down candidates to beat SNP and Alba
All the while the internal democracy of which the party was once justly proud has been destroyed. The newly elected Policy Convener admitted in this paper that he has no input into policy-making. The Women’s Convener and the Equalities Convener have “defected” to Alba because they were not being allowed to do their jobs on the NEC. Letters to HQ don’t get acknowledged never mind answered.
Marco Biagi, who we were told had the job of promoting independence, admitted last week nothing is being done because “he is too busy dealing with Covid” [NB Marco Biagi rejects this claim]. Covid did not stop Johnson from “getting Brexit done. It has not stopped the Unionist parties campaigning against independence.
READ MORE: Marco Biagi: Claim I’m not working on the independence case due to Covid-19 is not true
Please Nicola loyalists, open your eyes. Ask why arch Yoons like Alex Massie and David Mundell are in a panic at the advent of Alba. Ask why the Daily Torygraph of all papers is praising Nicola for smearing Salmond. Could it be that they really fear what he could achieve whereas they believe she will put off independence indefinitely? And please realise that it is painful to write a letter like this. I want out of this ghastly British state just as much as you.
Andrew M Fraser
Inverness
ON hearing Alex Salmond is going to head up the new Alba Party, I felt dismayed. He was a great asset to Scotland and nearly won us our independence, but we need to be looking forward and not going back with former politicians trying to make a comeback.
To form a super-majority of independence-supporting MSPs and a forward-looking parliament I will be voting SNP for my constituency and Greens for the list. I hope there will be a greatly increased number of Green MSPs that will stop detractors going on about the SNP being the only party that wants independence. The climate emergency needs to be dealt with now.
READ MORE: Speculation mounting if SNP treasurer Douglas Chapman MP will move to Alba
For those advocating that we deal with the recovery from Covid and rebuild, I would say we need to be in charge of all our finances, not waiting to see what Westminster will give us. Since we lost indyref1 I have voted SNP but once we have our independence I will revert back to voting for my preferred party.
Pat Bremner
via email
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