Scotland must confront Westminster if we want our independence

We should remember that Scotland is supposed to be in a partnership with rUK, as a result of the Act of Union in 1707. Although the treaty was voted on by the Scottish Parliament at the time, history shows it can by no stretch of the imagination be deemed a democratic decision.

However, the UK professes to be a democracy and therefore, despite the fact that it has been Westminster’s poor treatment and scant regard for the wishes of our nation in this alleged “partnership” that has sown the seeds of the desire for restoring our historical national right to self-determination, we have the right to expect that democracy to properly respect the will of the Scottish people as to how it is governed now, and the allegedly democratic UK Government to adhere to those democratic credentials it claims.

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So we have the right to demand that Westminster respect our claim of right, as it has already been acknowledged in the Westminster Parliament. The question is how?

UDI first came to my attention with the declaration by Rhodesia under Ian Smith, the ambitious attempt to leave direct colonial control and exploitation. It left that prosperous country – deemed the breadbasket of Africa – in a parlous situation internationally as Britain’s allies rallied against it. The country did prevail however and the rest is history.

The fact is that this is the 21st century. We don’t have to make the same historical mistakes. we can do things differently.

The Scottish approach to contemporary issues is clearly different from rUK; we desire to build a better future reflecting our (higher) social, economic and political values. So for now, although it remains on the table as a last resort, “demanding” independence in a UDI sense is the last card in the pack; the hope being that common sense should prevail and that Scotland and rUK can work together, get the job done and begin to build the new and different future relationship of equality, harmony and mutual respect.

However, Scotland is a nation with rich resources and immeasurable talent and rUK – resorting to the historically equality bereft colonial control – has no desire to lose control of the resources such as energy, fossil fuel deposits, water etc. So, we must make demands, and those demands have to be for the referendum that will ensure the majority of Scots are energised and desirous of independence.

Now, under the SNP’s leadership, this is where they’ve failed. In December 2019, Nicola Sturgeon sought a Section 30 order. Then-PM Boris Johnson batted it aside and his ridiculous explanation wasn’t even challenged. Our rights should have been pursued through the Supreme Court, and then through international courts to have our claim of right – confirmed in Westminster itself – legally enforced. SNP did nothing.

We’ve asked the questions of successive PMs at PMQs that if we are a “partner” in this Union, how we can ever assert our right to withdraw from it, and been ignored, no answer forthcoming. Of course, that’s the standard treatment by colonial masters, but it doesn’t satisfy our rights under international law and our alleged UK democracy.

So, if we are to get the referendum, we need to confront Westminster directly. If there’s no answer to the question forthcoming, we need to foment a constitutional crisis to get it, and our MPs should take no further part in the Westminster charade. They should walk out and set up a separate democratic body in the old Scottish Parliament where the calumny occurred in 1707.

And we need them, and the Scottish Parliament to resile from the Treaty of Union and repeal the Act of Union.

Also, we should increase the marches – even march on London – stop sending out taxes to Westminster, perhaps even blockade the nuclear weapons installation to drive the message home internationally, cease transmitting our green electricity to England, and any other disruptive measures that will provoke rUK to adhere to the democracy it claims. We should partake in all of the above while demanding that our media actually report on what’s happening and not just rUK’s Westminster propaganda. If they won’t report accurately, our actions must force them to.

While we may not prefer it, if we Scots truly want our independence then we’re going to have to confront the established Westminster government, we’re going to have to fight for it. Because we’ve tried to be nice, and they’re trampling all over us.

If this is UK democracy, who needs it?
Jim Taylor
Edinburgh