AN open letter to Karen Adam MSP.
Your article in The National on Tuesday outlined the way that political attitudes and decisions taken in Westminster adversely affect Scotland and Scottish business interests. We have not “powered the UK for decades”, we have seen our resources handed over to private business interests and plundered for profit. We are on the cusp of another act of such colonial piracy with the building of the cables that will carry power away from Scotland.
This bounty will not be paid for and the people who will suffer are the poor and those on limited incomes who will be asked to pay high energy prices for power generated here, sometimes as close as a few miles from their homes.
As you rightly say, the political decision to fund carbon capture in England is a snub to Scotland and especially the North East but it is only a symptom of the avarice of England and an indicator of what is to come.
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I reject your assumption that “independence is a long-term solution”. Your statement of the fact that “this won’t be the last time Scotland’s future is sacrificed”, is the very reason that a more aggressive – and I use the term advisedly – stance on independence is required.
We will never be given the opportunity to become independent of England – nor is it in the gift of England – until we can no longer supply their needs, which will mean the depletion of our resources to extinction. Scotland, as a party to the Treaty of Union, will at some point have to gird her loins and take what will never be given. The timing of that will determine whether we have the resources to make a well-funded transition or whether like Estonia we will face a few years of pain for a huge gain.
David Neilson
Dumfries
I WELCOMED the contributions recently from two Anderson letter-writers, on a legal route to independence that could circumvent any Westminster blockage, as myself and other activist friends have been considering something similar. We believe that there is another similar route which past actions of the Westminster government and Supreme Court have unwittingly ensured they could not legally block.
The most important have been, firstly, the Westminster acceptance of the Claim of Right which enshrines the sovereignty of the people of Scotland; secondly, the statement from the Supreme Court that the sovereignty of parliament does not apply in Scotland and thirdly, that Westminster allowed royal assent for
the Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020, which is therefore already in statute in Scotland.
Since one of the main arguments from Unionists is that there is no appetite for independence, Holyrood could hold a referendum asking if the sovereign people of Scotland wish to exercise their legal right to decide our future form of government. A reasonable vote for “Yes” would automatically trigger the process to begin moves to independence, whether Westminster agreed or not. In view of these aforementioned legal justifications, strengthened – perhaps by international backing – any Westminster challenge should fail.
Our view, therefore, is that BOTH these routes, the Anderson correspondents’ and ours, should be prepared immediately to facilitate implementation – if possible – within a year. Such moves should involve input from party and non-party groups and would surely recreate the impetus and enthusiasm for a campaign to win over hearts and minds. These positive actions would restore credibility to the SNP as the party of independence, preferably ahead of 2026 elections.
There may be other routes too to explore now – and with urgency, before Westminster can devise some way to block us again. Let us take away their power by making them deal with multiple situations of OUR choosing, instead of just rebuttal of theirs. After all, do they not believe in “divide and conquer”?
P Davidson
Falkirk
In 1984, a propaganda campaign which continues to this day was commenced to change the American public’s perception of Israel.
This was the year which saw pro-Israel group AIPAC begin distributing its “college guide” to the perception of Israel on US campuses, and in which the American Jewish Congress sponsored a conference.
This conference recommended a concerted campaign to change the minds of Americans about Israel. Called “hasbara” in Hebrew, this was undertaken to counter the impact of the horrific images generated by Israel’s 1982 war in Lebanon. The Washington Post reported in 1982 that Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin had complained of a “battle over the truth”. What was the battle?
Begin’s government claimed only 600 civilians had been killed by Israel, while US “intelligence officials labeled as accurate an estimate of 10,000 civilian deaths … first received from the Lebanese ambassador to the United Nations. [Senate Foreign Relations chair Charles] Percy added that the ‘unconfirmed’ estimate may be as high as 14,000,” the Washington Post reported.
The headline was “Numbers game clouds toll in Lebanon”. Israel has been playing this game ever since, denying the reality of casualty figures in Gaza, even as The Lancet and its own intelligence sources admit they are accurate.
Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell during the early 2000s, said about his experience with the Israeli regime: “I never, ever believe Israeli figures. The Israelis are patent liars. Let me say that again: They are liars.”
While it downplays casualties, Israel also pursues the Dahiya doctrine, which “calls for the use of massive, disproportionate force and the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure”. Sound familiar? It’s the same old same old Israeli policy: Kill and destroy any who oppose you – especially Iran. If an Israeli spokesperson speaks the truth, faint in shock.
B McKenna
Dumbarton
There seems to be an increasing divide between the SNP leadership and the general public.
No lessons have yet been learned from the disastrous recent General Election result. Pensioners living on £11,500 losing their heating allowance are now to pay a lot more for even a wee dram to help keep out the winter cold, while supermarkets profit
from the bizarre alcohol reduction policies supported and implemented by SNP politicians earning six-figure salaries.
I hate to think what might be next on the list for minimum pricing on dubious so-called health grounds. A minimum price for a fish supper would seem the obvious choice.
The SNP Government could and should reinstate the Winter Heating Payment and reclaim the money from the very wealthy and by taxing the assets of the power companies. Sadly, they do not have the courage, inclination or wisdom to do so.
And £28 million has been wasted just on the development of the National Care Service legislation while more than 9300 Scots are waiting for a social care assessment or a care package to let them live independently or in the community. The number of people stuck in hospitals purely because they are waiting for a care package is at a record high.
Despite the antics of Keir Starmer and his expenses and gifts scandal, the many recent local government by-election results show no real improvement in the SNP’s electoral fortunes.
The situation is certainly not helped by the news of the £30,000 donation to an SNP branch in Stephen Flynn’s Aberdeen South constituency from before the election. I am fast coming to the conclusion I have often heard from disillusioned voters of “they are all the same”. The turnout in recent by-elections was 17.9% in Fortissat and 15.8% in Mossend and Holytown.
Perhaps the Declaration of Arbroath needs to be updated to read: “It is in truth neither for glory, nor donations of £30,000 nor honours that we are fighting.”
John Baird
Largs
ON Wednesday, American journalist Jeremy Loffredo was beaten, kidnapped, blindfolded and taken to an Israeli military base by the Israeli Offensive Forces (IOF) with four other journalists.
All but Loffredo were released. His crime? Journalism. He was reporting on the damage Iranian missiles inflicted on the Nevatim airbase and near Mossad’s Tel Aviv HQ earlier this month. He’s being charged with “aiding the enemy”.
The 28-year-old could face life imprisonment or the death penalty. The US has remained silent but US media outlets PBS and ABC News openly featured the aftermath of the missile strikes and face no charges.
The judge ordered Loffredo’s release because the military censors allowed Israeli media to publish word of his arrest and what led to it, so couldn’t justify his detention. The police have appealed the decision, so Loffredo remains in custody.
Israel and the US aren’t the only countries muzzling journalists. British journalist Richard Medhurst was arrested at Heathrow in August on charges under Section 12 of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000, which criminalises opinion and can lead to a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. He was accused of “expressing an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed organisation”. He was never given a clear reason for his arrest, but believes it stems from his reporting on Israel’s genocide.
At the end of August, UK journalist Sarah Wilkinson was arrested for content she published online about the genocide. Her house was raided by 16 plainclothes police officers, her electronic devices were confiscated and the urn containing her mother’s ashes was desecrated.
The same day as her arrest, the co-founder of Palestine Action, Richard Barnard, was charged with three offences under the Terrorism Act 2000 for comments he made in two speeches.
So-called democratic governments are waging a war on free speech, threatening and imprisoning citizens and the brave journalists who are trying to inform people and hold power to account.
Unless more speak up and resist these moves by government, those of us who express views at odds with state narratives could face the same fates.
Leah Gunn Barrett
Edinburgh
SUE Gray has been appointed to a new post of envoy for the nations and regions. This is a job that did not exist a week ago. Presumably, she is not taking a reduction in salary which would mean a cost of £170,000 that was not incurred a week ago.
Meanwhile, Morgan McSweeney has been promoted. Presumably, he does not expect a promotion without a commensurate rise in salary. What is the additional cost of his promotion?
Moreover, there has been a fresh recruit to the No 10 communications team plus some shuffling of posts behind McSweeney. These too will incur costs. While I accept that these figures do not come close to the supposed “black hole” in the UK finances, it shows that the UK Government can be pretty free with public money when it comes to sorting out its own No 10 soap opera.
Gavin Brown
Linlithgow
THE article in The National on this topic was only yesterday drawn to my attention. I am English, a translator from Belarusian and Russian. Together with the poet Petra Reid I recently published a translation of a novel written in both languages by the contemporary Belarusian writer Alhierd Bakharevich.
I translated the whole book into English, Petra then translated my English version of the Belarusian parts of the book into Scots. The book was published by the Scotland Street Press in 2020. One of the central figures of the book is known simply as The Doctor, who with the permission of the authorities runs a camp where Belarusian-speaking children have their throats operated on to get them to speak ‘proper’ Russian.
What Stephen Kerr says about Scots is a milder version of what Russians say about Belarusian and Ukrainian. In the country that calls itself Belarus it is now a criminal offence to display any manifestation of true Belarusian culture. All Belarusians active in the specifically Belarusian cultural sphere have been forced out of the country or are imprisoned. This is the kind of extreme situation to which Kerr’s ill-thought out remarks can lead.
Jim Dingley
Me; indoor temperature; outdoor temperature; number of Labour’s Scottish MPs; who I challenge to turn off their central heating for a month to begin to experience the misery of existing in a cold house, where it is impossible to sit without adding many layers of clothing. They might have to wear extra layers in bed too as many older folk do.
If your MP is Labour please pass this challenge on to them. They deserve it.
Andy Pearson
Carnoustie
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