I WRITE to support Joanna Cherry in her assertion that the vast majority of the Scottish voting public are sick and tired of the current SNP/Green coalition’s focus (Scotland might be independent by now but for the focus on identity politics, Apr 5).
I have no issue with the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act other than to express a disappointment that our political representatives did not accept the very reasonable protections within the bill recommended by Lord Bracadale. It smacks of political arrogance, and has resulted in a poorly drafted piece of legislation which our police service have already found difficult to adjudicate. I expect better.
READ MORE: The public messaging around hate crime is centring the perpetrators
On the wider issue in Joanna’s contribution, I am one of the SNP supporters, of 50-plus years’ vintage publicly supporting the cause, who looks on in total bewilderment at our current and recent leadership these past ten years. Ten wasted years, where they have frittered away their time on this type of legislation which advances independence not one iota. Indeed its impact is not neutral. It has lost independence support within the party, clearly demonstrated with the party of independence polling at 35% but independence at 48/52%.
It can only be down to the currently inept leadership. That leadership has yet to present an “independence vision and ambition” to mobilise our population into action.
Yes, I know, various tomes have been printed, not that anyone outside the “bubble” is ever going to read them, let alone be motivated by such “learned” documents.
We still await from the SNP a clearly articulated independence strategy that could be understood by the average person on the street. More than that we need policy to address the very real hate crime on our streets – that hate crime is poverty! Poverty by design from a cynical Westminster establishment inhabited by “posh boys” from Eton, and deliberately targeting those once-proud industrial communities outside of their understanding or experience. Scotland is littered with such areas crying out for leadership and hope!
READ MORE: How the SNP became engulfed in 'worldwide' hate crime controversy
Where is the SNP vision? Where is the SNP ambition?
In 2014 Alex Salmond, on one of his tours, spotted large numbers of people queuing in a west of Scotland housing scheme. On asking why, he was blown away by the response. He was told: “We have never voted here before, we are the real ‘silent majority’ from the schemes, but this time we are all voting and it’s for independence.”
No surprise then that Dundee and Glasgow were Yes to independence cities. They were motivated by a positive vision. The firebrand Tommy Sheridan had appeared on TV and it was widely reported that “we will get rid of banks in an independent Scotland – food banks.”
We need a clarion call for independence and that is to eradicate poverty and want. Independence will be gained not by consultants and accountants, no matter what fine documents they author, but by passion and fire in the belly of orators.
Then independence will be won by mass mobilisation of those who have the least.
So, SNP leadership, less time on gender politics, and get a grip. That “grip” needs to define what you will offer to the masses: the pensioners, the NHS workers, the vast numbers in the precarious employment of zero-hours contracts ... do I need to go on?
READ MORE: Top law professor blames Police Scotland for hate crime misinformation
SNP leadership, you can complement that with an industrial policy, a policy on our own currency instead of the nonsense of being tied to the Bank of England and Sterling, the border issue, a statement on housing and infrastructure, roads, hospital-building programmes, and a commitment to full employment, all possible with independence and our own currency.
You could start tomorrow with a public statement saying we will re-nationalisation the energy sector in an independent Scotland, and nationalise Grangemouth. Come on, there is plenty you could be doing.
What are you scared of? If you aren’t up to it then stand aside.
Ian Stewart
Uig, Isle of Skye
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