THE setting of a date for the next independence referendum is both good news and the most significant progress on the issue since the Brexit referendum. All the various pro-independence factions must now cease hostilities and unify around the single objective of Scotland becoming a normal independent country. Nothing else matters at this stage.
The fascist Unionist Tories have nothing to offer. They see the world through the glasses of the empire. A unionism that appeals to a sordid self-glorification and anti-refugee prejudice. Boris Johnson is a supreme conman. His sales pitch is brutal, illogical, encourages racism, celebrates ignorance, and is contemptuous of evidence-based science. The mass indoctrination by false media-spun propaganda of ignorant unionist fanatics remains the biggest threat to independence.
The Unionists will run the most absurd campaign of lies and fear mongering. All sorts of “promises” will be made and then promptly dumped. No doubt the spectre of Putin will be raised. Yes supporters will be accused of being his “useful idiots”. Then it will be that there are more “important” issues. Under the union, Scotland, the most energy rich country in Europe, has the highest fuel bills and there is nothing Holyrood can do about it. The Unionist position is that Holyrood should use the powers it does not have to solve the problems caused by Westminster economic policies. This shows the utter stupidity and political bankruptcy of the union.
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The Tories have said they will not participate in any referendum and have said that there is no mandate. The other British Unionist party branch manager in Scotland agreed. What they are saying is that the will of Scottish voters doesn’t matter. The Unionist parties in Scotland serve Westminster. They are nothing more than bootlickers and lickspittles for their imperial masters.
The “Scottish” Labour Party hid the McCrone Report, rigged the ‘79 devolution referendum, stood with the Tories to oppose it, remained silent while Thatcher decimated Scotland and stole the oil, campaigned with and were funded by the Tories to oppose independence. The “Scottish” Labour branch has now gotten back into bed with Boris Johnson and the Tories at the local government level. This is designed to try to frustrate the electoral process and try to stop a referendum occurring.
The Supreme Court will no doubt rule that Holyrood has no power to hold a referendum. In these circumstances it will be clear that Scotland is being held in a union against international law. It will be at this stage if the SNP win a majority of the seats in 2024 this will be enough to declare independence in accordance with international law.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee
I welcome the new date for our indyref2 and look forward to the campaign.
It was however dreadful to hear the Unionist opposition parties disregard democracy while sitting in our Scottish Parliament. We in Scotland have every right to hold a referendum. That is democracy working for our people and our country regardless of whether you are for or against.
I would also suggest that Anas Sarwar’s British Labour Party advisers have a word with him about his disrespectful attitude towards our FM – he is coming across as misogynistic.
The desperate and angry vitriol he spouts seems personal.
Jan Ferrie
Ayrshire
Last Wednesday, in a “comment” piece, Scott Crichton Styles gave his assessment of the legal campaign which is being waged against the legitimacy of the next independence referendum.
He referred to Sections 28, 29 and Schedule 3 of the Scotland Act which, together, define the limits of power for the Holyrood Parliament.
Section 29 makes it clear that “reserved matters” are not within the competence of Holyrood and Schedule 5 confirms that the “Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England” is a “reserved matter*.
Mr Crichton Styles went on to encourage us all to read the Scotland Act for ourselves and also provided a link to a summary of the current debate amongst legal experts as to whether the referendum can proceed without permission of Westminster.
Such detailed legal arguments are not normally of great interest to someone like me – especially when they apparently haggle over the precise meanings of particular words and phrases like “related to”. Mr Styles told us that the “key legal issue” is whether a referendum on Scotland’s independence is “a matter related to the Union of the Kingdoms of Scotland and England”. He says the main concern is about the vagueness of the phrase “related to”.
On the other hand, and I am probably going to be thoroughly told off for not reading through the Scotland Act before asking this question: surely a referendum which is about reinstating our independent Scottish Government and Parliament – adjourned in 1707 – has absolutely nothing to do with rescinding the “Union of the Kingdoms” 100 years earlier in 1603? We will have a different referendum for the latter after independence? Won’t we?
Frances McKie
Evanton, Ross-shire
THE UK is imploding, and I would like to know why the UK government cannot recognise the dangers. We have an SNP government in Scotland, Labour government in Wales, Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland and Tories in England. With all the planned strikes, austerity, inflation, war, and pension problems, where will all this end?!? But England does not have a distinct government of its own – it is high time we gave England its independence and let them control their own resources whilst leaving Scotland’s alone.
We are not fools.
Rosemarie Hogg
Cromarty
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