PARTY BEFORE INDEPENDENCE

Posted byiainlawson27Posted inUncategorizedTags:,

An article written by regular contributor Bill Clark who hails from Fort William

The SNP’s continuity First Minister Humza Yousaf has made a pledge that at next year’s General Election “vote SNP for independence.”  What does he think we have been doing for the past eight years despite any progress being made towards that goal?  The new SNP’s commitment to independence has been diluted to such an extent it simply does not exist anymore.  Independence is only mentioned for election purposes.   

The SNP have taken their eye off the ball, indeed, they intentionally burst the ball to go after other issues which they obviously deem more important.  More than one person is to blame for this betrayal but there is one person more than any other who opened up a world of power and reward to those who could only have attained the level of political power that they now hold without Nicola Sturgeon.  The cabal she surrounded herself with are still there and have been well rewarded for their unstinting support by being appointed to one cabinet post after another, first by Nicola Sturgeon herself and now by her continuity successor as FM.  

Notwithstanding, Nicola Sturgeon’s recent public demise, Humza Yousaf has followed the same line by retaining where possible the former FM’s tried and tested loyal associates.  The former FM is a law unto herself, she has people fawning over her like disciples in a member-only cult.    While, she has been arrested as a suspect in a fraud investigation which has been going on for two years the SNP leadership have refused to believe a word of it.  They see her as above reproach.  Her supporters are manning the barricades.  There will be no continuity suspension for Nicola Sturgeon as long as she remains in charge.   The new rule change was brought in by the new FM himself to help one of his best friends from being suspended.  The fact that Nicola more than any other person was responsible for ensuring that the baton of FM would be passed to Humza is not a good look.    It is inconsistent treatment towards members.   It reminded me of the last Scottish Election when the NEC decided on a last-minute rule change to make it more difficult for Joanna Cherry to contest a seat for the Holyrood Parliament.   

Now, let us have some consistency when it comes to suspensions.    Humza and hypocrisy go together.  If they were really reaching out to the grassroots, they would not have knowingly chosen a date for their party convention to clash with the annual Bannockburn rally.    Nicola still has so much power over everyone within and out with the SNP which includes our present FM.    Humza’s choice as the SNP’s new £100K independence officer was Jamie Hepburn who fired his first broadside against the “YES” movement by bringing up devolution as an alternative to independence.    

If the goal of achieving independence was really on the SNP radar, I would have thought Ash Regan, who certainly has shown her commitment, would have been a more appropriate appointment.   Alas, with the exception of one lady there were no appointments by Humza for anyone with a mind or an opinion of their own.  Supporters of independence know full well that the only reason the SNP put a whip on their MSPs to vote to save the Green’s Lorna Slater was because they knew that to keep the SNP majority in parliament, they had to make out that she was doing a fine job.  Party interests had to come before independence.  You have to question the votes cast by Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in support of Lorna Slater retaining her job.  During the SNP leadership election debates both had criticised the proposals Lorna Slater was putting forward.   Unfortunately, they too, put party before their constituents’ needs, unlike, Fergus Ewing who stuck to his guns and voted in support of the no confidence motion.   Fergus is hewn from parents of unquestionable independence stock in Winnie and his father Stewart.   It should not be a case of who submitted the no confidence proposal whether you can bring yourself to support it or not.  It should be a case of, is it the right thing to do.   

It is depressing to hear political pigmies like SNP apologist Paul Kavanagh “Wee Ginger Dug” who are not on the same political planet call for the whip to be removed from Fergus Ewing, a titan of the independence movement.  They are also likely to be the same people who would have you believe that Nicola Sturgeon being arrested as a suspect in a major police investigation does not warrant a suspension while an MSP who is showing consistency in supporting his constituents is.   

The present and former FMs remind me of Vladimir Lenin as he believed that “liberty was precious – so precious that it had to be rationed.”    If you have the right credentials on devolution and express them well you can go far in the new SNP – it could be a job for life, unless, of course the present incumbents are taught a lesson at the polls.   We have to return elected representatives who have shown by their previous actions that they have been resolute in supporting independence as per their commitment to voters.     Stephen Flynn, the SNP Westminster leader, said that the SNP wanted votes to keep the Tories out while I want votes to keep out all unionists and devolutionists.  I want votes for Scottish Independence.   No more mandates, no more flannel, no more manipulation of voters, no more playing footsy with the devolutionists.  For me, that means if there is no agreement to fight the General Election under the banner ‘Scotland United for Independence’ candidates then I will be voting Alba.

In the years leading up to the 2014 referendum there was a united independence movement under the leadership of Alex Salmond.  However, his return to politics was interrupted by his prodigy’s political assassination attempt in her effort to remove him permanently from any thoughts he had of making a further attempt at leading the independence movement.   Even a not guilty verdict could not stop her tirades against her mentor.   He had, after all, thwarted her previous effort to go it alone as leader.  I believe, even at that stage, she was of the view that without Alex Salmond around, as sole leader, she could at that time have cemented her place in UK political history.  She has certainly got that alright, history will see to it.  I am also sure there will be other Toom Tabards to keep her company.  

MY COMMENTS

I think many will share Bill’s view that some consistency in decision making about suspensions and other disciplinary decisions is needed. I must admit I found the spending at the florist sent all the wrong signals, not about guilt or otherwise, but how many times has anyone been sent flowers by the Party before in those circumstances? Certainly not Michelle Thompson who was forced out without being arrested, but merely because her solicitor was arrested. Not a flower in sight then. Or for Joanna Cherry after she was threatened with physical attack, who from the staff or NEC went to the florist on behalf of the Party that day?

I am, as always

YOURS FOR SCOTLAND.


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29 thoughts on “PARTY BEFORE INDEPENDENCE”

  1. the problem with these personal attacks is that they publicise anger but the arguments over policy are lost.

    The membership of the SNP has the opportunity to dictate how the independence election will be fought.

    Annual Conference will decide. Some may claim the debate will be manipulated. That happened in AS time, so preaching about open democracy does not come from a pure source . That’s a fact , and not an opinion as i was on SOAC and know how agendas were designed.

    i and others will be doing what we can to ensure that the decision made by the Party reflects the view of the Party as a whole and not just obedience to what the leadership proposes.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. The problem with the SNP’s current position on the restoration of Scotand’s full self-government and independent statehood is that … they don’t have one. Or not one that is anywhere close to the coherence of what might be dreamt up by ahe average 10 year old.

      Humza Yousaf could not define or, more accurately, gave different definitions to what his ‘plan’ constituted:

      On the one hand a vote for the SNP is a vote to start Independence negotiations. Seemingly this was to be based on the number of seats won at the next Westminster election, rather than votes garnered. (And he calls the British government undemocratic!). Humza Yousaf and his cohorts couldn’t or wouldn’t state whether this was an absolute majority of seats or simply a plurality of constituencies won. This after claiming for months that we need to see opinion polls at 60% for YES consistently (whatever that means, and as if opinion polls decide the outcome of the constitutional future of Scotland).

      On the other hand Humza Yousaf still states that ‘Plan A’ remains a ‘legal’ referendum. By which he can only mean a Section 30 Fools Gold Standard British government approved referendum. He hands the Brits a veto when he said “Westminster are the ones blocking it. So whether that democratic effect is a referendum or simply the general election itself, that is for them to answer”.

      I reckon that this seemingly ham-fisted, half-witted approach is intentional in order to mean all things to voters and simply to garner ballots at the next election. It is fundamentally dishonest and politically fraudulent. It is an attempt to perpetrate a deceit upon the Scottish people.

      With every utterance from the current FM and his ministers and spinners this con-trick becomes clearer to those from whose eyes the scales have not yet fallen.

      Liked by 10 people

      1. i think that there are four basic options which the SNP members should have before them to consider and vote. They would all come with qualifications .

        1 majority vote then SG negotiates Indy.
        2 majority of SNP MOs then SG negotiates Indy
        3 majority vote then dissolution of union
        4 majority vote then UDI.

        Liked by 2 people

      2. Thank you for your thoughts on options, that is fair enough and it is encouraging that you are considering the UDI route.

        However:

        There is now a massive credibility problem for the SNP as a result of the timidity and false promises of the last (almost) 9 years … so who is going to believe you any more?

        Plus, of course, the bloody-minded pursuit of unpopular policies such as GRR bill, Highly Protected Marine Areas scheme and Juryless trials and the incompetence exhibited in others like the (inoperable) Hate Crime Act, Deposit Return Scheme mess, Ferries procurement debacle and ScotWind sellout means that there are some Independence supporters that will never back the SNP.

        As a result of this there is next to no chance of achieving a majority SNP only vote. (Remember even when the SNP was at its apex in 2015 it dropped just short of the 50% mark – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_United_Kingdom_general_election_in_Scotland).

        Voting for the SNP-only in a British General Election will result in returning ‘nationalist’ MPs without any chance of securing the prime objective (assuming that they actually want to, a dubious claim given events since the end of 2014).

        Liked by 8 people

    2. Worth remembering, Graeme, that colonialism ‘is a crime’. The dominant national party tasked with running a colonial administration and ‘protecting the colonizer’s interest’ ends up behaving ‘like a gang’; it becomes ‘an instrument of coercion’ (Fanon), which is what we see. By supporting or being part of this mankit midden o manur we can only descend even further into the ‘root of colonialism’ which is fascism (Cesaire).

      Do you seriously want to be a part of that?

      Liked by 9 people

      2. “here’s my plea in mitigation”

        Concise, intelligent and heart-felt, Graeme. Sadly, I think the horse may well have bolted already. The SNP are going to be punished at the next election and probably the election after that too.

        The anger expressed by Bill is not going to be ameliorated by words and fine speeches anymore – we heard some beautiful words from Nicola over the past decade as she weilded her carrots like little pearls of oxygen to a drowning nation – pearls we now know to be contaminated with deceit and self-interest!

        The only hope I believe your party can have now is to openly, and repeatedly, embrace the wider Yes movement. To openly, and genuinely, join hands with Alba, ISP, et.al.

        Even then, the despair, outrage, and sense of betrayal felt by many, is likely to see a backlash agaisnt SNP that can’t be band-aided.

        For the genuine men and women, like you, who remain within, I’d like to believe it can be turned around – the cancer in the SNP cut out at source, but…

        Liked by 10 people

      3. Thanks Graeme. That was a fine contribution you made, weel duin.

        However, on the subject of the Scotland Act, a ‘colonial corset’ if ever there was one, and the laziness and petrifaction of your party elite, if I may quote Fanon again:

        “The people and all their leaders ought to know that historical law which lays down that certain concessions are the cloak for a tighter reign. But when there has been no work of clarification, it is astonishing with what complacency the leaders of certain political parties enter into undefined compromises with the…colonialist. The native must realize that colonialism never gives anything away for nothing.”

        Yes, we may be left sitting with a mankit, violated and totally disrespected treaty (as were many other colonized peoples) but we clearly remain subject to ‘colonial procedures’. Unfortunately the understanding of our ‘colonial condition’ by the dominant national party elite ‘remains rudimentary’; when it fails to understand the ‘condition’ is it any surprise it has been unable to apply the only ‘remedy’?

        Liked by 9 people

      4. A truly accurate distillation of all our feelings. like a glass of good Whisky it wakes your soul up with a determination to get going and sort those buggers out.

        Liked by 3 people

    3. Listened to your speech on YouTube and heartened to hear how well received it was.
      Hopefully applauded by those at the top of the party as well as grass roots.
      This is exactly what’s needed
      . I’ve voted SNP all my life and never have I been less behind the party than in the last two three years for a multiplicity of reasons. I know I’m not alone.

      Liked by 3 people

    4. Perhaps worth remembering that the Party (SNP) hasn’t since AS championed the referendum route, fought or included in its UK General election independence as the reason for voting SNP.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. People (used to) talk of ‘Nicola’ (Sturgeon) in Scotland as they once did of ‘Eva’ (Peron) in Argentina.

    Oh what a circus!

    The reality is, as the song goes, She Did NOTHING For You!

    Liked by 11 people

  3. Bill’s arguments laid against the SNP’s current parasitic leadership, and that particularly of their provider, are evidence enough to convince any supporter of ‘Scottish Independence’ that their lifelong dreams have been indefatigably washed away by a tsunami of POLITICAL BETRAYAL.
    The evidence is now proven. It’s time for the SNP to be washed away.
    Neil🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

    Liked by 11 people

  5. Bill is simply stating fact and what so many believe to be true. The SNP is a very pale shadow of what I once knew the party to be and it must be devastating to those who for decades gave so much of themselves to bring it to the brink of independence to witness what took place since 2014 and to see what it has become today.

    Once the exemplar of how to set up and run a democratic political party within just a few years it was reduced to a personality cult. When the membership did get the opportunity to reverse course, they selected the Continuity FM! Although to be fair to some of them the process was rigged to get the result that it did.

    There have been some crazy things taking place within the SNP over the past few years and if we ever doubted that it had become the party of devolution, the Holyrood election of 2021 dispelled all doubt. With Nicola Sturgeon’s rejection of a supermajority she was forced into a coalition with the wacky-party!

    With just 4.17% of the overall vote, it took only 27,541 votes on the Regional List to elect each of the 8 Green MSPs and yet for the 2 SNP MSPs it took 547,187 votes each. Plus, of course, it let a large number of unionists into Holyrood that should never have been elected. Way to go Nicola!

    I don’t need to rehash the toxic impact of the wacky-party since that election but the elevation to Ministerial status of the 2 pygmies that the people of Scotland totally rejected by their 4.17% share of the vote has resulted in condemnation of SNP policies. Condemnation not only from the unionists, that’s expected, but from all parts of Scottish society as they damaged the cause of devolution never mind independence!!

    Now, we hear of unity, but I’m afraid that ship sailed long ago leaving the SNP on the quayside at Port Devolution.

    Liked by 11 people

  6. Just as a matter of Interest my branch recently had a campaign to elect a councillor. ALL campaign material was festooned with Sturgeon’s face. Not party logo apparently. I say apparently because I did not see it but it was discussed at branch meeting.
    SNP were soundly defeated

    Liked by 7 people

  9. ‘Vote SNP for independence.’ Really? The SNP is rapidly falling in popularity and voting intentions as opinion polls show. – and no wonder! The SNP will have a lot fewer votes in future at elections. Ergo, if voting for the SNP has not achieved independence despite such high support in the recent past, why would less support in future lead to independence? This makes no sense. Nothing the SNP says re independence makes sense. They might as well speak in Navajo. I wonder what the word trougher is in the Navajo language.

    Liked by 10 people

  10. You don’t have to be anti-LGBT+ to realize that because of the SNP/Green policy on LGBT+ this is the reason that Scotland isn’t Independent today. If we’d focused on Independence rather than Yes rainbow which was a personal indulgence of Sturgeon and Harvie and had nothing to do with making the whole of society better for everyone.

    Bill Clark article I totally agree with, Yes Nicola Sturgeon was a betrayer but she was even more damaging than just betraying the cause of Independence, If i was a scholar I could write encyclopedia regarding every single thing she caused.

    The SNP/Greens and the SG are entirely to blame for that child being kidnapped and raped. Throwing transgender rights down every adult and child throat which I’d like to see a public inquiry into the SG/Greens handling of this whole affair. Nicola Sturgeon endorsed these transgender rights to which she couldn’t even answer the simplest of question of her core policy was Bryson a man or a woman and now the new FM wants to challenge it in court, nothing has been learnt by the SNP.

    Me i regard Nicola Sturgeon as the worst FM we have ever had, she was a dictator and control freak, she’s put Humza Yousaf into the position of FM knowing that he’s going to fail he hasn’t got the good sense to realize she’s not a friend and she using him.

    Even now in full view the SNP can’t even hide from the fact that they want to remain in this union and that Scotland Independence is something that’s a hindrance to the party rather than a benefit.

    On the same day and at the same time as Alex Salmond and the Alba party was in London revealing the legal opinion on the Supreme court ruling on Scottish Independence was flawed, Sturgeon called a press conference outside her house to say it isn’t fair for the MSM to be disbursing her neighbours!!!

    Sturgeon hanging her Husband out to dry, watch this space, I’m sure Mr Murrell has has been a lot more vigilant than Sturgeon gives him credit for, the real show is about to come to town and it’ll be worth buying a cinema ticket for.

    Liked by 6 people

  11. Great feature and comments reminding me of my pre-Sturgeon years in the SNP and I go back to the 1960’s. What a travesty the party now is. In today’s Herald, Kevin McKenna on the SNP asks at the end of his article “Those of us who still favour self-determination are now faced with a grim dilemma. Do we even want to be on the same side as these people?”

    If the Rutherglen by-election comes to pass, we may well see the answer.

    Liked by 4 people

  12. Iain, Off message, but tried to pay subs and fell at the last hurdle. The security code. Will attempt again tomorrow when my son’s here. Reading your excellent blog is an essential source of credible information. Lucky to have access to it

    Like

  13. I totally agree with this article, I feel the SNP, who I first joined prior to the 2014 referendum, are not only on the wrong path, but any talk of a new referendum for Independence will be undermined by Westminster. They will never stop trying to prevent our undoubted need for Independence, and as for them saying they would “start” negoitiations with Westminster, fat chance that will happen. The SNP are in it virtually, to con us to gain our votes, and to keep their well paid jobs. That is in my opinion is what their latest mutterings about Independence are all about. Mark my words folks, we will not gain what we want via the SNP.

    The ICJ is the one and only way to defeat Westminster’s neferious grip on our country and all our assests, for themselves. The best way, and in a none political way, is, to my old mind ,Salvo. scot and Liberatiion.scot. via our legitimate and internationally legal” Claim of Right” which is still legal to this day and Westminster knows it.

    The SNP will get knowhere in beating Westminster, no matter how they try to do it. Westminster will cheat us again, and agai… It is what they do, and they have much practice on doing this. So the only way is described as above. If this is not done we will be a colony of England for all seeable future with all the hardships Scots will have to endure.

    Liked by 7 people

  14. Each person must follow their own values and principles.

    I do not believe that the SNP has any desire or commitment to Independence.
    I do not believe that they are listening to Indy supporters.
    I do not consider them to be honest or trustworthy.
    I detest the alliance with the Greens.

    In summary a vote for the SNP is to keep a Party in Power at Holyrood and to maintain as much Short Money as possible from Westminster.
    They are putting Party before Nation and I will never vote for them again.

    Liked by 4 people

  15. Nobody in our house will be voting to keep any of those criminal-conspirators in fine new clothes for another five years!

    Liked by 3 people

  16. I am sick of seeing that Nicola Sturgeon is still getting news time to say how terrible things have been for her and that she is sure and certain that she has done no wrong.
    Alex Salmond was found not guilty, that meant that he had not done what he was charged with, but she still took every opportunity to say he was guilty and had done wrong.
    So, in short, she clearly has no idea what is right and what is wrong and thinks that by keeping saying she has done no wrong we will all somehow believe her version.

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Very good article and it would seem some of the Bisto kids in Westminster and Holyrood are waking up to the fact that they could be about to get their P45. My MP sent me a letter the other day so I suspect he is using an out of date mailing list as I have been out of the SNP for a couple of years. Even if the SNP embraces the Scotland united ticket I would find it almost impossible to vote for the man or my MSP again. My MSP got my vote last time at the request of Alba to try for an Indy super majority and we saw how that worked out so unless there is a major change I will not be voting SNP again. If Alba or ISP do not stand out here then it will be spoil the ballot time. The one bright spot on the horizon is Salvo and the work they are doing.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. David – if you remember during the “leadership election” farce everyone (almost everyone) was questioning how they came to tell us that they had 100,000 members.

      Well, they were using the latest (at that time) figures from the House of Commons that records all parties every year (probably via the Electoral Commission). The latest recorded figures then were dated August 2022 and there were 104,000 SNP members, but of course everyone and their dog knew it was way less than that figure because that was well before everything began to finally catch up with them and things started to fall apart.

      It also emerged that when SNP members left the party, they were not taken off the list for well over a year and often more. They then kept sending “ex-members” pleading letters and emails to rejoin the party and throughout they did not remove them finally from their membership list.

      So, even what they are now quoting is highly suspect unless they have changed their procedure, which I very much doubt.

      Liked by 1 person

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