Alba only exist because the SNP have failed to lead the Yes campaign

In imploring Alba to stand aside in “endorsement of the SNP’s independence-focused manifesto commitment”, doesn’t this raise serious questions about how many manifesto commitments the SNP have previously been supported with yet failed to deliver?

Why will it be any different this time from a party widely accused of keeping the independence pot simmering merely to regain power at the ballot box?

Don’t Mr Grodynski and his ilk fail to realise that Alba only exist because the SNP have failed to properly lead and drive the independence campaign with any imperative?

First among Alba’s stated aims is “national independence for Scotland as an immediate necessity and overwhelming priority”. Compare this to the SNP’s dilatory mishandling of the best opportunity in generations and failure to persuade Scots about self-determination in the face of the most draconian, abusive and democracy-denying Westminster establishment government in modern history.

When we have just learned that somehow her party were unable to persuade the impressive MP Mhairi Black not to resign and instead continue the fight for independence in the, albeit toxic, arena of the House of Commons, doesn’t it seem disingenuous that any independence supporter would countenance the loss of an experienced MP, politician and committed independence campaigner like Kenny MacAskill?

By failing to widen the campaign to include the myriad groups battling for independence, attempting to make the issue only an SNP issue and by failing to provide the de facto leadership it has traditionally been accorded, isn’t the fear among grassroots campaigners that nothing is changing in the SNP’s diaspora? Re-election seems more important to them than winning the independence so many Scots desire, and so many others could and should be persuaded to – if only the SNP would release the sword from its scabbard and cut down Unionist lies and denial of democracy.

Instead of promulgating scenarios to winkle Alba’s MacAskill out of office, wouldn’t the SNP send the clearest message to the Union by supporting him? The political cost to the SNP would be less than negligible, the message sent immense.

The Westminster blue, red and yellow Tory parties will try to make the election about the economy – each will claim they can manage it better. Promises to control immigration and the usual benefits and pensions bribes will be offered, perhaps even claims of infrastructure investment.

But recent history shows everything they will promise is lies, damned lies and outright lies. The only change will be Scotland short-changed again.

The Britain they claim to aspire to build is an illusion – they’ve had three centuries to do so. With their contemporary policy commitments, it’s certain they really have no intent to. The blue Tories are fighting a rearguard action to mitigate the damage of their tenure in office in the hope they’ll only be out of office for one term (already the rats have deserted the sinking ship to reduce electoral embarrassment). The red Tories care nothing about Scotland – only about gaining power at Westminster by persuading former Labour red wall voters that somehow they’ll out-Tory the Tories and pander to their xenophobia by controlling the immigration that sensible people can see we desperately need. The yellow Tories are merely bit part players propping up the failed Union with no message of democracy and social justice to offer.

Only an independent Scotland can bring about the structural changes for the socially just, independent Scotland we strive for.

Isn’t putting politics before country by lobbying to divide the campaign self-defeating? One independence candidate per constituency and our vote for a brighter future will be irresistible in any real democratic sense.

As Canned Heat implored: let’s work together – together we will stand, divided we will fall!

Jim Taylor
Edinburgh