No other political party had to whip their MSPs

Posted byiainlawson27Posted inUncategorizedTags:,


A guest post from Bill Clark from Fort William.

If you are a career politician wishing to climb a party-political ladder then you need to draw the line somewhere.  People who are ambitious to that extent have to play a political game and leave the door open just enough for those erstwhile opponents holding all the power on the other side of the door to know that you are ready to listen to their promises.   In other words, be prepared to jump from one commitment of loyalty to another

.   We are presently experiencing that from all our major political parties in Westminster and Holyrood.  We have just witnessed our own Iain Blackford MP playing petty politics in a pre-arranged action in the UK Parliament.  He rose from his seat along with his front bench of SNP MPs and led them out of the debating chamber as soon as Alba Party Deputy Leader Kenny MacAskill MP rose to his feet to debate the energy bounty being cabled south to power the equivalent of 2.8 million homes without Scotland receiving any financial benefit.   Rather than join with a fellow nationalist MP to support Scottish residents whose energy bills are going through the roof, and participate in the debate, they preferred a childish stunt against the Deputy Leader of the Alba Party.   Time after time the First Minister has made it clear that she will not work with members of the Alba Party.  

 The SNP have received such a backlash from other independence activists that they are now falling over themselves to dodge the flak. Footage of the incident went viral on social media and over half a million people have to-date witnessed this political theatre.   Iain Blackford and his cabal may have pleased the First Minister by their behaviour but they should have instead been putting Scotland’s interests first.   Independence is certainly not their first priority.   Retaining power for another five years in Westminster has long been their primary objective.  Such a parcel of rogues in a nation. 

On the other hand, we have Fergus Ewing MSP who is made of the same inbuilt courage and holds to the same principles that his mother, Winnie Ewing, showed over many years when he joined with eight other SNP MSPs in declining to follow the party whip and vote for the Gender Recognition Reform Bill.   Ash Regan was another stalwart who resigned as the SNP Community Safety Officer to vote against the proposal putting her concerns for the safety issues of women and children before any political self-interest.  At the same time, she made it clear she was not against reform but not at the expense of other groups. 

  No other political party had to whip their MSPs on this controversial bill and nor should they have.    This is only the start.  Those who have alternative views to the First Minister will be held to account.  According to Alyn Smith, SNP MP for Stirling, “Those who did not support our government will be getting a torrid time from their constituency parties and local members soon enough”.  In my view, the SNP are more likely to give free reign to Alyn Smith MP, Pete Wishart MP and some of their like-minded cabal members to verbally abuse, through their Twitter feed, those people who have shown courage in the face of overwhelming political pressure within the SNP.  Just check some of their past Twitter posts. 

 I joined the SNP as a 16-year-old and I have only ever voted for the SNP.  However, next time around I will be voting for the Alba Party.   The only reason that the SNP would refuse to fight a plebiscite election as one united independence movement is to give each of the present Westminster SNP MPs an opportunity for another five years in Westminster.  They have turned out to be political cannibals.          

MY COMMENTS

Like Bill I salute those SNP MSP’s who voted on their conscience and defied the whips. It was outrageous that MSP’s faced a whip on this issue but it indicates that the movers realised without it many more would have rebelled. Those that lacked the moral courage and bowed to the pressure have to live with their conscience. Strangely enough I strongly support Alyn Smith’s views that constituencies should get involved, just not in the direction he would like. I think SNP Constituencies should be questioning their MSP why they supported a bill that is opposed by over 80% of the electorate. That the SNP as a Party was never allowed to debate or vote on at any Conference. Yes I think ordinary members should get to the bottom of that. Then they should make sure it never happens again by threatening deselection. It’s not just Nicola Sturgeon or her whips that can threaten that.

I am, as always

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31 thoughts on “  No other political party had to whip their MSPs”

  1. The front page of McPrävda this morning reported: “Commons back pro-independence motion”.
    A historic victory then. Freedom must be imminent.
    Blackford states; “ This House has voted in favour of a motion on Scottish independence, the first time that has happened, with a clear majority of those that were elected from Scottish constituencies voting for that proposition.”

    The debate went to a vote where it passed 39 to zero.
    Wait a minute, I’m confused. The SNP has 45 MPs. Kenny MacAskill, Margaret Ferrier and Patrick Grady also voted aye. Minus the two SNP tellers, there should have been 46 ayes. Whit’s happening?
    Why didn’t all the famously disciplined SNP MPs vote? Why didn’t the unionist parties show up at all and wipe the SNP vote out in a tsunami?
    Oh, wait. For a vote to be binding, 40 MPs must be present and vote.
    The whole exercise was the very definition of political theatre.
    The SNP agreed in advance to keep their vote below the threshold of 40 and the unionist parties agreed to stay away.
    A cheap stunt designed to fail while generating a disingenuous headline to fool the pathologically gullible Nicophants.
    The only priority for these carpetbagging charlatans is protecting their comfy seats on the big, yellow, gravy bus.

    Liked by 21 people

      1. Agree, the Westminster farce yesterday, the ‘rebellion’ of some MSPs over the GRA and now news of islanders on Mull and Iona wanting to set up their own ferry company as SNP and Calmac are not doing a good job. I think the hierarchy are getting worried, as they should be. Any suggestions as to how we can encourage the dissent movement? Perhaps the energy crisis can be promoted, emphasising the failure of the SNP to do anything, hardly even any meaningful protest about how Scotland is energy rich but we pay the highest prices in the UK for it, a tottally unjust situation as Kenny Macaskill has pointed out several times, including in the House of commons, which the SNP traitrously walked outon!

        Liked by 14 people

  3. The SNP are no longer the Party of Independence. They are a business and the employees have created a model that will guarantee a very comfortable lifestyle and a Pension that would make anyone envious.

    Having destroyed Party democracy the clique have only to please the Cult Leader to retain their lifestyle.
    Those few who who refused the whip on GRA in a Holyrood vote in which ONLY the SNP were whipped (Forced alignment) confirm just how far the SNP have fallen when so few are willing to stand on principle.

    The People of Scotland have been betrayed not only by Sturgeon but by every elected SNP politician.

    Anyone who continues to retain their SNP membership are helping to destroy the YES movement and hopes of Scottish Independence.

    I know dozens of SNP members who oppose the GRA drive but still chant “wheesht for Indy….”..
    When you are willing to accept the removal of Party Democracy and the division of the YES movement then I fear for what you will tolerate post Independence…..if it was ever to be achieved.
    The end justifies the end is a poor ambition.

    Liked by 15 people

  5. Thank you for that article Mr Clark.

    For arguments sake what if Sturgeon of whom I detest DOES decide to use the next GE as a plebiscite (it must be a plebiscite that leads to the declaration of independence and not to an indyref) what then do we get behind them and vote for them?

    Alba will rise but it will take time, possibly even beyond the next Holyrood elections, should we wait for their rise, or if Sturgeon does give us the opportunity to vote in a plebiscitary GE should we take it. I certainly don’t trust Sturgeon or her MPs, but a plebiscite GE could shave years off our wait, and God only knows what Westminster would get up to, to undermine Scotland between now and an effective rise of the Alba party.

    It’s a dilemma.

    Liked by 10 people

    1. In a GE we lose all the 16 and 17 year old voters. The highest proportion of YES voters plus WE all have to vote SNP to record the votes because Alba, ISP, SSP etc will not be standing PLUS the issue that the 30% of Labour voters who support Independence will be recorded as UNIONIST supporters by being classed under Labour.

      The GE plebiscite election is a con to boost the SNP standing. If Sturgeon really cared about Independence she would collapse Holyrood and have a Holyrood plebiscite vote that maximises the Indy support….but she doesn’t want that, she wants to keep the carrot dangling and the trained chimps she has tamed and shackled and now controls to keep Murrell Enterprises growing.

      Look at the D’Hondt voting for Holyrood. If she loses a dozen constituency seats the divisor goes down and she will pick up more list MSPs. That was why she pulled in the Greens. She will have years in power even if the SNP starts to lose votes. We have been stitched up!

      Both votes SNP for an everlasting Colony status with Sturgeon as the Regional Envoy.

      Yes I’m angry! Not for me but for those generations of Scots who will never have the chances they should have had.

      Liked by 15 people

  6. Clootie.

    I get it, no one’s rubbish Sturgeon and her MPs more than I have, but if this opportunity arises and it’s by no means a nail on that it will, should we let it pass us by? Traditionally I think the SNP has done pretty well in electing MPs since 2007, so I don’t see how that would suddenly differ at the next GE.

    Sturgeon would have to make it crystal clear that the GE would be a plebiscitary one, and a win (majority of MPs) would lead to a declaration of independence and not be seen as permission to hold an indyref.

    I’m only thinking of the years we’ll need to wait for Alba to rise enough to make a difference, and what will Westminster get up to in that time. By all means if Salvo or the SSRG or Liberation come up with some other way that gets us out of this union then so be it.

    With Sturgeon claiming that if the UKSC knocks back her indyref, (and to be honest I don’t want to have to go through another indyref that’s open to abuse) she will use the next GE as a plebiscite, we should hold her to that and highlight it and if she fails to live up to it, hopefully many folk will see her for what she is.

    If she fails to use the next GE as a plebiscite, then we MUST NOT vote for any SNP MPs instead we MUST give our votes to the Alba party.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. I honetly do not think that is a dilemma we will have to face but, because of the way she has alienated many women, I’m not sure she would win anyway. Persoanlly i wouldn’t believe a word she says.

      Liked by 6 people

      1. I would not be happy to vote ever again for the SNP as they are now and the thought of them being in power to shape an Inependent Scotland and our negotiations with England fill me with horror for the future of our country and its citizens, i think it would be a betrayal of scottish generations to come.

        Liked by 4 people

  7. Please tell me of one political party in Scotland that will not be asking the neighbouring country for permission to become independent. Not one exists.

    Please sir please sir can I have another shot oh please sir can I sir.

    Politicians have had over three hundred years bumping their gums and stuffing their pockets with public money.
    At this moment in time are any political representative sitting in a house in the dark cold hungry fearful naw thought not.
    Shower of bastards The era of the politicians is over, every one a failure.

    Liked by 12 people

  8. I don’t salute the two SNP MSPs who voted against the party this week, or the ones who abstained, I’m sorry but too little too late. Where were they when Sturgeon and her stooges were trying to destroy Alex Salmond, where were they when the elected twitter warriors are spouting their hate while they accuse true independence supporters of that very thing, where were they when they all voted against a national energy company, or a plan B for independence, or the many poor policy decisions. I am sorry but the SNP and all of their MSPs deserve nothing but our contempt.

    Liked by 6 people

      2. The courage is coming from the truth tellers and the ordinary citizens like yourself and Sara and everyone else who is doing all they can just to survive.

        Liked by 5 people

    2. 7 SNP MSPs voted against and 2 abstained. I’d rather the change had come before now but I’ll take it!

      Incidentally I was sure that Labour also whipped their MSPs to vote yes so it wasn’t just the SNP.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Hello Bill (and Clootie!)

    You are absolutely right in your analysis, especially with you last sentence:

    “The only reason that the SNP would refuse to fight a plebiscite election as one united independence movement is to give each of the present Westminster SNP MPs an opportunity for another five years in Westminster. They have turned out to be political cannibals. ”

    Too many cumfy people at Westminster, Holyrood, Glasgow Council (and other councils) and SNP HQ!

    If I may just add a personal comment by clicking on:

    HOW DID THE SNP END UP IN THIS GROTESQUE CUL-de-SAC?

    Cracks are appearing in the Murrells porcelain-walled SNP edifice but sadly it will take more of us continuing to bang away. Huge thanks so far to brave Kenny MacAskill, Ash Regan … and other public figures. They have much to lose but eventually so much to gain for Scotland, decency and democracy.

    Liked by 11 people

  10. It hasn’t been a good week and more, for the SNP.

    Leaving, and – bowing – to the Westminster farcical procedures as Kenny MacAskill rose to speak about the energy costs facing Scotland’s people. All on camera

    Blackford’s convivial chat with Mordaunt. All on camera

    SNP MPs sitting tight as a furious, demented, Westminster Speaker ordered Kenny MacAskill and Neale Hanvey out of the HOC cesspit. All on camera.

    The SNP whip failing to crack over the GRA vote at Holyrood.

    Looks to me like the SNP are a spent {£600K} force.

    Loos like we cannot rely on politicians to deliver independence – bought and sold it appears – it is up to the people. Reference Vivianoblivian’s expose above of the 39 (steps} to deceit.

    Liked by 9 people

  11. What were Iain and Penny daeing when they both mirrored each other when they both put their hands in their pockets and it looked like they were doing the same movement. I was thinking did they have holes in their pockets and passing on something or was it a wee hidden hand shake? 😁 Prism had it closer up on their show so you could see.

    Liked by 2 people

  12. Pensioner alert. Pensioner alert!

    The Conservative Government has it says difficult decisions to make.

    And herewith a statement by Andrea Leadsom yesterday –

    “However, there are many wealthy pensioners who own their own home, have got private pensions, who don’t need that triple lock.

    “In my view it may be the time now to start looking at some form of means-testing.

    Whooee pensioners, means tested Pensions. You could believe that anybody could release a statement like the one Leadsome has just trailed.

    But the Conservatives do, and have for some time, held the view that pension is a benefit.

    Better Together, the Brexit Bonanza, suck it up pensioners, suck it up.

    Liked by 5 people

  13. On Wednesday 2nd November, the Scottish Parliament members, voted in Westminster to break the Treaty of Union, 1703 witch was won 38 for and nil against, this vote has ended the 300 year Union of Parliaments, I think you will find on the 5th November there will be a shed load of Treaties put on bonfires and burnt.

    The SNP will in effect be disbanded and a new party raised. This Party will be ALBA, I am awaiting the Prime Minister declaring a General Election where there will be no Scottish MP’s to stand, this will take place after the Budget on 17th November so that we can all commemorate our war dead.

    Charles could then be crowned King of Scots prior to the 6th May next year, setting in motion the taking action on the illegal war of 2003 – 2009 where 179 military personnel were killed of which there was 18 Scottish and 1 murdered on his doorstep making 19.

    I will be reading out those names on Sunday 13th November this year on Remembrance Sunday. This will be a fitting tribute to them who died, NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT, that was their Moto as it is mine and the late Queen’s.

    Prince Charles’s, when he read out the Claim of Right and signed it under the very nose of the perpetrator of this crime against the Nation of Scotland where the people are sovereign not the parliament or the King, will enable Scotland to prosecute the perpetrator who ran roughshod over Scotland people.

    We do not need a referendum, never ever did, we just needed the Scottish people that we elected to make a case why this had to happen. We have done this working within what was perceived to be against our enemy where in-fact they were our alias, what was they said “We are in this together” open and above board, the only folk that did not know was the folk we were against.

    Now we have to remember the fireworks, not the burning of any effigies, Bonfire Night, Scotland is standing on its own two feet along with England both standing shoulder to shoulder as we have always done for the last 500 years. It is when you have an enemy within you have to wheedle them out, just like the tank commander in Iraq when there was tank fire and nobody could see where it was coming from, he gave the most ludicrous order for all the tanks to switch on their light, totally exposing his position, no the position of the infiltrator. That is what we have been doing for the last few years making folk think something and doing something else, but doing exactly what it has said on the tin.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Petition to amend the Equality Act to make it clear that the protected characteristic of sex means biological sex only.

    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/623243

    Last time I checked the top 3 constituencies for signing were in Edinburgh and they weren’t even Joanna Cherry’s! Though hers was in the top 20. Scotland has a high proportion of signers. I wonder why…

    Like

  16. See when you actually think about this even the very notion of politicians having to be whipped for not doing as they are telt, it’s like they are playing a game of bondage. The politicians are the submissive and if they show a bit of defiance it’s kind of like threatening to skelp their arse or receive their punishment. Maybe it’s just me but there’s old videos where one of the Labour whips takes you into her lair and the actual whip is hanging up on the coat rack. 😂

    Like

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