DAN Wood rejoicing that explaining why we need independence can be the focus, rather than how we can achieve it, and his acceptance of the SNP ’s commitment to gaining a mandate by winning a majority of Scottish MPs at the next General Election leaves me both disappointed and unsurprised that the indy can is being kicked down the road again (Letters, October 18).

Overcome with the rapturous applause for First Minister Yousaf’s announcements of Scottish Government funding commitments in conference, rather than on the floor of the Scottish Parliament where they should rightly be made (a political trick well used by governing parties seeking favour with their members and the wider country), it would appear members left the arena satisfied that, according to their core party mission, independence is now back on the agenda, upfront and urgent.

The party are now driven to win that majority of seats and curiously convinced that when it’s achieved, our colonial masters will roll over and indy will be won – or at the least, the referendum Westminster knows it would assuredly lose; the very reason why they’re refusing to allow it to happen, and eschewing any notion that Scotland is a voluntary “partner” with fundamental democratic rights to exercise.

But, wait a minute, the party are now driven to achieve the mandate they already have. And have had since 2019, won in the face of the blue Tories returning a government to Westminster with an overwhelming majority of UK seats.

Doesn’t a mandate last for the life of a parliament, until it is refreshed at the next election? So, what are we waiting for? Why are we not sitting down with this Westminster government now and telling it what we would propose to say after the party potentially win the new “mandate” they intend to seek and, let’s face it, a “new” mandate with likely fewer seats and therefore a “lesser” mandate than the party currently enjoy?

I don’t want to rain on the parades of those slavishly loyal party stalwarts like Dan Wood who appear to have fallen for this well-practised political ruse, but while acknowledging that all in the wider movement have only Scottish independence at heart, I take exception to him criticising those who disagree with his “membership’s” support for the party’s new (old, really) direction as divisive and unhelpful. It’s Scottish public opinion that really matters, not just one party’s that’s held the baton for so long and failed to cross the finishing line with it.

As things now appear to stand, which Dan Wood and his ilk seem to accept, those who support independence but not the SNP will effectively be disenfranchised over this important issue for all Scots, and diminish support for independence in the eyes of Unionists. How can it possibly be wise to lose this opportunity to show Scottish solidarity across the board for independence?

I see clearly that Wood’s party’s interest is in getting elected and they’ve chosen a strategy to place that at the forefront of their ambitions. However, if there had been real intent to use this coming election as a plebiscite on independence, then a declaration of independence support from each candidate would allow a gross figure of public support for independence (perhaps other parties/candidates can be persuaded to declare anyway, to allow total support to be identified) which would be irrefutable to any intransigent Westminster government on pain of having their illusion of British democracy shattered. And that would be the starting point for the direct political action needed to force their change of mind.

So, if the SNP are serious about independence, then let them use their already existing mandate now. Go to Westminster and begin talks. Let’s get the process they think will somehow persuade a Westminster institution avowedly opposed to ever “grant” independence to relent and release we Scots “from the land of Pharaoh”.

We don’t have to wait for the anticipated red Tory government.

There’s no better time than now while we have this iniquitous blue Tory government to illustrate just how poor our colonial status is in this UK union, while explaining the why, as SNP members and the wider movement already support it.

So, why are we waiting?
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh