THE Supreme Court has declared that on two counts the decision by the Holyrood Parliament to pass legislation embedding the UN child rights convention into Scots law is “ultra vires”, therefore re-inforcing the Westminster Parliament’s “unquantifiable legislative power”.
This could be regarded, at best, as a simple “rap on the knuckles” to the Scots Parliament but I have little doubt that more sinister motives are a foot. It is quite clear this was an attempt by the right-wing Tory government to test the legal limits of Holyrood’s ability to pass legislation in its own right, particularly in relation to any future Scottish constitutional change and in particular an independence referendum.
The devolution legislation, if interpreted narrowly as Johnson’s government is presently doing, exposes the inability of the devolved nations to fundamentally change their futures if they so wish. In fact, it is not just sinister, it is undemocratic. There is little doubt that Scotland will be forever prevented from achieving independence. Much worse lies ahead!
Appealing to the Supreme Court was a well-thought-out strategy to subjugate Scotland into the “GB Vision” of the right-wing Tories who see themselves in power for the next 20 years.
Faced with totally inept political opposition south of the Border, they now have free range to mould the country into their vision of Great Britain not seen since Victoriana. It means little to the Tories that they had no mandate in Scotland since the 1950s. Right now we are seeing the biggest onslaught on Scottish sovereignty ever experienced.
READ MORE: Scottish Government 'bitterly disappointed' by Supreme Court ruling, Holyrood told
It is neither subtle nor sophisticated! The Tory strategy is worryingly jingoistic and verging on phobic proportions towards the Scots, its politics, its government and its policies, and with fake news it peddles the idea we cannot look after ourselves, that devolution is failing by the day and Tory intervention in our devolved nation is entirely justifiable.
It is reaching propaganda levels not seen since pre-Second World War days. Does this analysis seem over the top? It is not! The sinister antics of Johnson and his Cabinet of lackeys are there for all to see. Each has been instructed to push the British nationalism button at every turn.
The so-called Scottish Secretary Alister Jack stated that “the UK was no longer a four-nations country but a one-country GB”. In future all political and economic decisions will be based on a one country GB approach.
Even the term UK is being downplayed. Remarks about Scotland being an English region are made. There is constant denigration of the Scottish Government and Holyrood.
The recent Tory Party conference of no policies, plenty slogans and rhetoric, insults and derision was reminiscent of other contrived rallies seen in past history. And, due to apathy, the Tories’ drive to a one-nation Great Britain may in fact succeed.
Parts of Northern Ireland and Wales may silently or unwittingly let this happen. England already thinks it is GB. Welsh nationalism may be up but Wales is still dominated by England. Northern Ireland is trickier. It enjoys single-market/Eire advantages. The Good Friday Agreement gives them an option of re-unification which many in Northern Ireland may opt for. Johnson may not stop re-unification and the name GB would at last stand alone.
This leaves Scotland the biggest barrier and challenge to Johnson and his right wing Churchillian ambitions of GB the all-powerful global giant. Will we just simply acquiesce and allow ourselves once again to be a subject nation dominated by an England-run GB and watch as our devolved status is crushed, the aspirations of our young people and our citizens lost for generations?
We have come so far and Scotland is on the cusp of Independence. Will we be a Catalonia or a Quebec? There is a democratic way out of this impasse. We have to put all of our considerable talents to a democratic, legal solution before it is too late. The Tories believe they are unstoppable. Teflon Johnson is convinced he can say and do anything. He knows the Scots are his Achilles heel. Let’s start to fight back now before it is too late!
Dan Wood
Kirriemuir
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