LETTER OF THE WEEK

Posted byiainlawson27Posted inUncategorizedTags:

Dear Sir,

SEIZE OUR CHANCE OR MISS THE TIDE

Power is a force that ebbs and flows in time. If the opportunity is missed, you will find yourself stranded in miserable shallows. Such is the case now. Restoring Scotland’s independence is a pre-requisite for economic recovery from Covid, as is restored access to the EU Single market whether via full EU membership or EEA or EFTA.

Brexit is already a clear and present danger. In the month of January 2020, the value of British State food and drink exports to the EU was £1 billion. Upon leaving the EU in January 2021, this fell by 75.51% to £256.4 million.

Scotland has particularly borne the brunt of Brexit with huge falls in exports to the EU. Data from HMRC show that since records began, Scotland is the only British State nation to consistently have exported more goods internationally than it imports. For example Scotland’s overall surplus in 2018-19 was £4.94 billion. England showed a deficit of £134.98 billion. Scotland’s exports are wide-ranging but whisky alone counted for 21% of the British State’s entire exports.

Yet Scotland’s potential is unrealised. Denmark sets the gold standard for exports but comes nowhere near Scotland’s natural wealth and broad-based assets. Even in the year of the oil crash, Scotland’s overall economy grew. With 8.4% of British State population, Scotland possesses 90% of its fresh water, 90% of hydropower, 96% of crude oil and 63% of gas (with potential for clean energy through hydrogen production), 60% of timber production, 70% of fish landings, and 25% of the entire offshore wind and tidal power of Europe. Scotland is a net exporter of power. It has the most educated people in Europe, with 47% of those aged 25-64 educated to degree level or equivalent. In 2018-19 its economy was worth £900 per head higher than the British State’s.

No wonder Westminster is determined to keep us. So why do we end up with a set of accounts showing a deficit? We don’t. The financial reports called GERS (Government Revenue and Expenditure Scotland) result in a false deficit. Scotland is charged a population ratio of British State debt. We pay, as examples, for water and sewerage renewal in the South East of England, for London underground costs, London airport expansions. We will be charged for HS2. Atrociously, we are charged for the costs but are not credited with income deriving from the construction (VAT, income tax, Corporation tax). This is credited to the Englisheconomy. Nor does Scotland gain the add-on benefits to local economies accrued from the investments. We are also charged for nuclear weapons sited in our country against our will.

Scotland has no borrowing powers so we were not responsible for accruing British State debt pre-2020 for which we pay interest. Indeed our economy was in surplus or had a smaller deficit than the rest of the other nations. Our oil revenues bank-rolled the British State for 40 years. From analysis of 39 years of GERS figures, if Scotland had been an independent country we would have zero debt. Currently for every pound paid to the British State we get a ‘grant’ of 68 pence back. We pay to put our electricity on the so-called national grid based in the South of England. Companies based there are paid to put electricity on. This undermines our ability to invest in renewables infrastructure.

So where are we now? Scotland has no powers over 39 key areas including: borrowing powers, currency, fiscal and monetary policy amounting to 70% of taxes raised, broadcasting, oil and gas, 85% of social security and benefits, immigration, pensions, product standards.  Although possessing most of the institutional infrastructure necessary for independence, we underperform in key indicators against independent countries with a similar population base and fewer resource. 

Scotland cannot continue to subsidise a disinterested British State that majors on inequality and has the worst old age pension in Europe. We don’t have the option of standing still. Brexit and Covid won’t allow this. However, post independence there is no reason why effective arrangements can’t be established with the remainder of the British State. As happened with the North of Ireland in relation to the EU and the island of Great Britain. Irrespective of bluster, RUK will be sufficiently motivated to access Scottish resources, especially water and electricity, to broker an arrangement. (As motivated as it currently is to oppose independence) 

Yet since 2014, progress towards independence has stalled. Election mandates to undertake a new referendum have been ignored. The Scottish Government has neglected to inform Scots about their country’s huge assets. Virtually no Scottish Civil Service time has been devoted to independence. It is not discussed by the SNP’s National Executive.  Meanwhile Westminster moves inexorably, removing powers and erecting obstacles to Scotland fulfilling its potential and protecting its people. 

We do not have to endure this. We can be a normal, self-determinIng country. Scotland’s nationhood was asserted by the Declaration of Arbroath. It is recognised as a country by the United Nations. Section 62 of the Convention of Vienna allows a country that has entered into an international Treaty such as the Treaty of Union to resile from that Treaty. And international law overrides any domestic law by which a ‘possessor State’ seeks to imprison the country seeking to depart. 

Through the advent of the Alba Party the people of Scotland have an opportunity to re-assert their Sovereignty by voting for a supermajority of pro-independence representatives at Holyrood. No one party has the ownership of independence. We need to come together to create a Parliament prepared to champion Scottish independence against a Tory Prime Minister who cares nothing for the people of Scotland, only for Scotland’s assets. We need to explore all routes, including but not relying upon a Section 30 agreement, to regain our self-determination.

Alba is serious about independence. Its purpose is to strengthen and deepen the movement for independence. It has a strategy to gain independence, is working on an economic policy on which the campaign will be anchored, and aims to enshrine the Sovereignty of the People in the written Constitution of an independent Scotland. This will empower any citizen to challenge actions infringing the rights of the people set out in the Constitution, as with the United States’ Constitution. 

I have two votes for the Scots Parliamentary election and can use each as I please. I shall vote Alba for my List MSP.

Yours faithfully

Joan Hutcheson

37 thoughts on “LETTER OF THE WEEK”

  1. A very good summing up. For 300 years our Wealth has gone South in “Support of the Empire”
    Our people have been scattered around the globe.
    Generation of young men have been decimated as cannon fodder to serve this Empire.

    We are even expected to pay for the propaganda that suppresses our hopes.

    Liked by 7 people

  2. An excellent, short and to the point case for the benefits to Scotland’s economy independence would bring. Ive sent a link to a unionist friend of mine who has declared herself ‘open to persuasion.’ Fingers crossed!

    Liked by 5 people

  3. Indeed Scotland is Westminster’s cash cow and they will hold onto us tighter than a barnacle to a ship’s hull. We need to find a way to get the facts mentioned in paras 3 and 4 into the public domain. We should have long since countered the refrain of too wee, too poor, too stupid.

    Alba gives me hope that once again we have a party dedicated to delivering independence and whilst positive campaigning is a good thing, it needs to be in tandem with tackling the myths.

    Alba on the list for me. I only wish I could vote for them on the constituency too!

    Liked by 6 people

  4. Agree with all of this – the article should be published nationally to the widest possible audience.

    Just don’t forget to hold your nose, Joan, and vote SNP on the Constituency ballot (as well as Alba on the List).

    Liked by 5 people

    1. it is an EXCELLENT article!! I agree!. Thing is – this has been doing the rounds of Twitter and been part of bloggers’ articles for a several years now. Unfortunately, MSM doesn’t report it for obvious reasons – Scots would know the way the union works and that would never do!

      Also, many Indy people know this, having read & researched this. It’s the newcomers to Indy that need this info that they haven’t seen before. But more than them, it’s those ‘swithering’ that needs to know. That’s why ‘The Wee Blue Book’ was soooo very helpful!! When ‘switherers’ got a copy & read it, they were amazed to find these facts that had never been presented to them. Thus I come to the conclusion:

      1) Wings is needed more than ever, to get more ‘Wee Blue Books’ printed & ‘out there’! I know that Stuart is, ATM, intent on getting people to know what’s happening re Gender politics, which REALLY ARE important!! But I think the facts of the Wee Blue Book need to be re-published & given to new members too.

      2) I think we need to remember that new people are coming on board as the scale of ‘cronyism & stealth of public funds is uncovered. Scots don’t want their funds abused in this way & I believe a lot of them are ready to change. But they need facts to reassure them that the Indy they are now seeing as a possibility, IS FINANCIALLY VIABLE. YouTube videos by Prof Richard Murphy are a great help & I use his links at every opportunity.

      But having the info at your fingertips, all written up in an easy to read way, bullet points & simple explanations are, I think, the way to go. I think we need more ‘Wee Blue Books’ and need to get them out so that folks see the wisdom of what voting SNP1/ALBA2 can bring to Scotland. Not just Independence. A viable & profitable country that is rich beyond THEIR ken. WE know it is. But THEY need to know.

      Liked by 2 people

  5. I will be voting Alba, that’s a given, but with only three weeks to go can we get the message out? I do not see a landslide for Alba but if we can get pasted the Unionist wheeshed for Alba and the negativity we can see the numbers climb to where they will make a difference. Even the 5 MSP that is predicted so far will give Alba a foot in the door, and line them up for the General Election where it will be a straight fight with the SNP (if that is the way they wish to play it), Nicola should really be using her head and stop the tantrums over Alex, and see the benefit for Scotland of a strong pro-independence group at Holyrood. But as Calamity Jane said, “That’s female thinking and nothing will get you in more trouble”. Me I’m just sick to the back teeth with a secret society (the SNP) and the Unionists doing their ding-dong thing at Holyrood, I want to see real politics at Holyrood. Did you hear Alex being interviewed on Sky, despite the efforts of the presenter, Alex turned the tables on him and put over the Alba message, he is going to be a breath of fresh air when he enters Holyrood once more.

    Liked by 9 people

    1. Yes, that totally biased Tory lover, Adam Boulton flung all the recent Unionist lies at him before he would even discuss Alba or Scottish election

      Liked by 3 people

  6. What excellent reading. Thank you so much for the practical information, all put together so succinctly. You should send this letter to Wings and to the National and broadcast it as widely as possible. Breath of fresh air.

    Liked by 3 people

  7. Well put, Joan. These are the figures/messages we need to get out and repeat often enough. There used to be a leaflet with these figures in graphic form.

    First 1000 ALBA leaflets out in Livingston yesterday, (before funeral coverage started, giving no excuse to opponents)

    Liked by 5 people

      2. where and why is this some sort of secret ALBA communicate, tell us where to come to, and we will get these out ASAP

        Liked by 1 person

  8. What a joy to read an article about Scotland that identifies all that is good about it. Most importantly, it points the way towards independence via the ALBA party. There is clearly a campaign by the SNP/Nicola Sturgeon and the unionist parties to stop ALBA from succeeding in the election. Strangely, although they all have one primary reason – to stop independence in Scotland – they each have different reasons. The SNP follow the lead of the FM and she does not want the challenge to her authority and policies of ALBA in Holyrood. The unionist parties know well the benefit of Scotland to the union and will use every opportunity to hold onto us. This is the information that should be on the front pages of all Scottish newspapers, what an indictment on Scottish journalists that they are refusing to do so.

    Liked by 7 people

  9. There are mistakes in this which gives the unionists a point of argument. We are not selling water to anyone. it is too costly to build the networks. For the south desalination is more economic.

    electricity is already bought from Scottish suppliers often at preferential rates. I sell to npower my surplus at above going rate. We can only sell to England or Ireland but England can buy from France and Netherlands. We are better using our surplus to produce hydrogen.

    As for VAT corporation tax etc it depends where your registered office is located. Most companies are registered in England. We need to split revenue to get the accurate picture. We have to present accurate figures. GERS is fiction but we need to provide more accurate figures.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. “We need to explore all routes, including but not relying upon a Section 30 agreement, to regain our self-determination.”

    No individual, group, organisation or political party accepting the Section 30 process can possibly be regarded as being “serious about independence”. Section 30 and self-determination are incompatible and mutually exclusive. Section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998 affirms the absolute power over Scotland afforded England-as-Britain by the Union. The Union denies the people of Scotland the full and proper exercise of our sovereignty. To accept to any extent and in any degree the legitimacy of the Se ction 30 process is to compromise the sovereignty of the people of Scotland. It is to accept that our right of self-determination is conditional on the consent and cooperation of the political elite of another nation.

    As someone who understands the difference between independence and self-determination I have to point out that we have no need to “regain” the latter. Scotland is a nation. Therefore, the people of Scotland have the right of self-determination. The right to determine the constitutional status of our nation and choose the form of government which we deem best serves our needs, priorities, interests and aspirations. This right is inalienable. To speak of regaining it assumes something that is impossible.

    What has been lost is not our right of self-determination but our capacity to exercise that right. That capacity is denied us by the Union. It was traded for English gold by a parcel of rogues. Compared to our modern political leaders those rogues drove a hard bargain. At least they got gold. Our politicians – including, it seems, those associated with the Alba Party – would trade our capacity to exercise our right of self-determination in a free and fair manner for nothing more than empty promises of cooperation from the British political elite. They would compromise the sovereignty of Scotland’s people by endorsing what is in its effect a distillation of the letter and spirit of the Union.

    Like

    1. “As someone who understands…”
      Unlike they rest of us dumb Scots eh!

      Peter your arrogance has now reached new levels. You do not talk to us, you talk AT us.

      You may find it hard to believe but a fair few of us can think for ourselves.

      Liked by 11 people

  11. That was quite good Peter UNTIL you wrote

    including, it seems, those associated with the Alba Party – would trade our capacity to exercise our right of self-determination in a free and fair manner for nothing more than empty promises of cooperation from the British political elite. They would compromise the sovereignty of Scotland’s people by endorsing what is in its effect a distillation of the letter and spirit of the Union.

    That is not how I see ALBA moving forward nor what AS says but of course you know better NOT!!!

    Liked by 6 people

    1. That’s perhaps because he managed to secure a ref that way previously, but you know best eh…let’s just leave the greens having the balance of power and helping SNP push through thr changes that will really make life difficult for women. Let’s continue to vote the same way and hope that something different happens, cos Peter knows best. What’s your suggestion about how to move forward…youre full of venom for anyone questioning your vast knowledge. So how would you progress independence differently?

      Liked by 2 people

    2. Peter following AS view that there should be no negativity from ALBA Candidates and just being an ALBA supporter I think that is an excellent idea, doubly so with the nonsense spoken by online keyboard warriors.

      So I am not going to get into an online pissing contest with you, so as of now I am just going to ignore all your negative comments.

      byeeeeeee

      Liked by 1 person

    3. littleladylotte as anyone who is knowledgable and has studied these events knows, AS has said there are many ways to get this referendum and if Boris says no to a sec 30 order, AS / ALBA has a few other options that they will offer for consideration.

      That alone should make Boris think (I know that is quite a stretch for Boris)

      I believe that TB only offered devolution and a rebirth of the Scottish Parliament as more powerful external institutions were going to act if the UK did not respond to the needs of the Scottish people.

      So maybe it is a bit like the lottery you cannot win if your not in the game, so rather than being forced to concede a referendum on Scottish independence by external forces the UK government might want to play a part in this, rather than sit on the sidelines and watch as this happens outwith their control and influence.

      Really I cannot see that happening as they like to ‘be important and have a position in the word to uphold’.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. You don’t have to tell me, I understand Peters view that he doesn’t understand how Alba can possibly further the independence cause, but I don’t agree with it. Snp have gotten far too comfortable in their little things going with the greens. Time to shake it up a bit. We’ve always said of the uk system that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is madness….yet that’s where many scots are at….im for what’s the harm in a few unionists losing list seats, can it be any more harmful than them seating unionists….we dont know until we try. And everything everyone says about Alba…well they’re entitled to hold that opinion, that media spoon-fed opinion of baaaaad man. Baaaad for scotland, baaaad for independence….done more than most in current msp seats to further independence. I think we are safe enough with him poking the bear, his intentions are for whats best for Scotland, not whats best for snp. And since snp made it pretty much impossible for him to comfortably return to SNP fold, he is perfectly entitled to start a party. Once that’s outdone lib dems within weeks of existence. It may be a flash in the pan, or it might finally be decent opposition for pushing independence in holyrood. Swings the balance of power in votes etc, meaning less reliance in the greens and their wokery support. I await Peters scathing response….lol

        Liked by 1 person

  12. Just listened to the co – leader of the Scottish Greens – Lorna Slater – on the BBC Sunday Show. This is not a party that genuinely supports Scottish independence.

    There is only one genuine party for Scottish independence – ALBA.

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Well said Joan Hutcheson, Scotland has great potential, if only we could dissolve this unfit for purpose union, the world would be our oyster as they saying goes.

    ALBA list vote.

    Liked by 3 people

  15. Yes, excellent piece. But if I may, in the spirit of comradeship, point out a couple of errors. GERS was not introduced until the mid-1990s by Ian Lang, Tory Secretary of State for Scotland, in order to show how poor Scotland was. So they don’t stretch back 39 years. Scotland does have borrowing powers, but they are very restrictive. Great letter though especially the Vienna Convention stuff. On the matter of self-determination, Peter is right to point out that this is different from independence. All peoples have the right to self-determination but that doesn’t mean the automatic right of secession. It just means you have a right to not have your economic wellbeing destroyed and your democratic rights removed. Though quite what you do about that if you are not sovereign, I don’t know. Complain to the UN via a friendly sponsoring nation? The right of secession is held only to apply to colonised peoples subject to exploitation and appropriation in the 19th century. There is no right of secession from a unitary state currently recognised in international law. Yet I have often asked myself: is the UK a unitary state? In some ways it is (treasury, army) but in other ways it isn’t (treaty rights guaranteeing continuation of Scottish ancient rights in Treaty of Union, and existence of separate Scottish institutions ever since like COSLA, Scottish education department, etc.). So I would argue the UK is a union state, not a unitary state, and that we therefore have the right to secede if our self determination is being encroached upon by the UK, under our treaty rights and international law on self determination.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Mairianna, the Treaty of Union did not form a unitary country, as is witnessed by the UK being described as two countries, a principality and a province at the UN. What the treaty guaranteed was that Scotland would choose the same Head of State as England (responsible for external relations, trade and armed forces) and that there would be a level playing field with regard to taxes, to allow fair trade. There was no other provisions and Scotland was to keep its own laws hence the Scottish Parliament was not abolished merely never recalled till now.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Sure, of course, agreed. And that would be the main basis for arguing the UK is not a unitary state, despite Cameron’s legal advisors, Crawford and Boyle, arguing in 2014 that Scotland was ‘extinguished’ by incorporation into the United Kingdom. Ludicrous argument. If Scotland was extinguished, then so too was England.

        But I’m talking about events since, and how international law might look at things. In some respects there is a unitary state – the ‘military-fiscal’ state, the treasury, and the army, but in other respects, apart from the same tax and customs regime, Scotland continued as before. To the extent that special acts of parliament were needed to deal with Scottish circumstances, that applied only to Scotland, because we retained our own legal system. And if UK laws were made, then a Scottish variant. Then there were the Boards. The first was the Board of Manufactures and Industry, which was set up in the 1730s and applied only to Scotland, to help stimulate the linen industry and the economy of Scotland which went into recession AFTER the union because taxes increased six fold, and there were barriers to trade with the continent because of the new customs regime. Adam Smith wrote about this, that he remembered when he was a boy in Kirkaldy in the 1730s, that all the ships were holed up in the harbour, rotting, that used to trade with the Low Countries and Baltic.

        And so we could go on, citing case after case that Scotland remained a nation, albeit a ‘stateless nation’.

        One of the most powerful examples of the UK acting as a unitary state was Labour’s nationalisation programme in the 1950s, taking ownership of Scottish businesses and infrastructure. Then Thatcher flogging the lot to foreigners in the 1980s.

        Still think there is a good case for arguing the UK is not a unitary state, Scotland’s right of secession is there if the UK interferes in s detrimental way with our self-determination. It was there in the 1950s and 1980s but Scotland was still in thrall to Labour and not disposed to seeing our right to resist.

        Liked by 2 people

    2. YES does any of that really matter we voluntarily joined a union and sad to say it has been all one-sided so can we not just say enough and goodbye without all the pedantic is it this or is it that.

      Simply it is not working as the balance is wrong and sadly no matter what was said in 2014 it has been getting worse {sadly from one day after the result was known} not better with no inclination to get that sorted.

      IF this was a marital divorce case we would have solid ground for ending the partnership, the fact that it is two countries does not change the fact that one party is abusing the other

      ITS TIME!!!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Well, we need to ensure that others would recognise us, otherwise how would we trade? That’s why this ‘pedantic’ stuff is important.

        Like

  17. FAO SNP Executive.

    ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men
    Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
    Omitted, all the voyage of their life
    Is bound in shallows and in miseries,
    On such a full sea are we now afloat,
    And we must take the current when it serves,
    Or lose our ventures.’
    (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, IV , 3, 218-224) .

    Liked by 2 people

  18. I sincerely hope that via Alba we can move from talking to doing.

    A few of you have been inclined to point out errors in Joan Hutcheson’s Letter, why not instead recognise and endorse the theme of the Letter that says … Scotland is self-sufficient in the basics to prospering – water, renewable energy, food production, extensive territorial maritime rights. And a gene pool of smart people.

    Nothing to fear then, but our intellectual reasoning, that causes us to prevaricate.

    But we are not in a debating club, we are facing a real “present danger” direct assault from Westminster. The corruption of the UK gov’t is there before our eyes.

    And Peter Bell, c’mon, come inside the Alba tent, apply your reasoning within.

    Liked by 3 people

  19. Give me a reason. But if you did give me a reason, how will I know if it’s one of the things I’m supposed to ignore – like the errors in the letter?

    Like

Comments are closed.