THE latest leak from the English National Party (through their BBC publicity wing) is that Scotland will need 50%+1 of the entire population to gain independence.

Compare this to the vote to regain UK independence from the EU: 37.44% of registered voters and only 24.72% of the total population voted to leave back in 2016. Rules changed to fit what Westminster wants!

Their putting this out, however, is a sign of absolute panic on their part. Panic because Westminster needs to continue to plunder the resources of Scotland and to prevent a major drop in UK’s standing in the world resulting from Scotland’s independence. These would be the death knell of Westminster’s vision of “Global Britain”.

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The English nationalists who control Westminster also have a total disregard for international agreements/treaties when they they do not fit what they want. You only need to think of Brexit to realise this.

It is obvious that they will stoop to any level to keep their “Global Britain” alive.

I have faith that the Scottish Government is putting forward both a vision and an economic plan which will get us independence. I also know that Scotland will stay within international law irrespective of Westminster’s actions before and after independence.

Due to who and what Scotland is up against, it is absolutely critical for the Scottish Government to have back-up plans/responses for everything that Westminster will throw at us from their well-understood play book – whether it is underhanded or a downright fabrication on their part. The Scottish Government should share as much as possible but may need to hold back some tactical reasons in the subsequent negotiations.

Fortunately we know Westminster’s playbook as it has not changed that much since the 1700s. I normally do not see much benefit into delving into the past – it won’t get us independence . It does, however, give an insight into the tactics of the English Nationalist Party.

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Scotland needs to remember the English Alien Act of 1707( England threatened draconian measures against Scotland if we did not agree to the Union), the bribery (that England did to persuade the non-representative Scottish Parliament of the 1700s), the failure to develop an agreed new constitution (but continued with the English-centric one), the subversive tactics used in the 1820s (by infiltrating the Scottish movements of that time), the threat of the army and gun placements in Glasgow in the early 20th century, and last but not least, suppression of information (Munro report) and the lies and proven promises since the run-up to 2014.

Scotland must stay vigilant and not allow ourselves to be out-manoeuvred by the totally corrupt Westminster cabal and their mouthpiece – the press. Another factor that could work both for and against us is that the three English parties are united as one to stop Scottish independence.

The Yes movement a huge role to play. They must be out there driving home our demands for independence, they must counter misinformation and, most importantly, they must persuade the undecided voters by effective presentation of our case.

As I said above, the English are united – we need to unite behind our government. The Scottish Government are the only ones empowered to deal with Westminster. A government you may dislike, or policies you may disagree with. Being openly divisive and being derogatory about our First Minister only hurts our cause.

The time to express disagreements is at the election post-independence. A divided Scottish independence movement is doomed to fail.

Douglas Skoyles
Elgin