Dear Longshanker
“I watched the debate and I'm glad I can put a face to your blog. I like that you got to ask a question. :)”
To be clear the fact remains that the 30 year old anti NATO SNP stance is wrong, and here is why.
Firstly, a recent poll stated the majority of serving Scottish Soldiers didn’t want to transfer to a Scottish Defence Force.
That issue needs addressed by the SNP, it is a major problem.
Secondly, if the SNP was to form the government of an independent Scotland, they wouldn’t be plugged in the intelligence network of the West.
Where are they going to get military and civil intelligence from?
Clear examples why the SNP need to adopt NATO and also as a NATO partner we have to accept the NATO protocols that allow other member countries to pass through Scottish territory with nuclear weapons, we have to accept responsibility. I would allow the continuation of Faslane for UK and US nuclear submarines.
If the SNP adopt NATO it sends strong signal to Scottish service personnel that the Scottish National Party is proactive regarding their safety.
“Especially one which could lead to a rift in the party”.
Two Government Ministers have also spoken out as well, Constance and Campbell and there are more besides me who feel uncomfortable, because in the SNP if you stand up, you risk being singled out and treated like an outcast.
“Like you, I fail to see how the SNP could possibly hope to win the referendum without signalling to the international community that they'll be a contributing member of NATO. Nice one”.
Actually, I am removing objections to a NO vote, but I am not listened to the SNP, they didn’t listen to my advice before and that led to a disaster at Glasgow City Council election.
“I disagree with you about the debate slightly. Patrick Harvie was undoubtedly the best performer followed by Ruth. Equal last were Nicola and Sarwar”.
From my previous blog posting on the event:
“As to the debate, Patrick Harvie did well, Ruth Davidson did well, Anas Sarwar did well and Nicola Sturgeon put in a decent performance in parts, until Ruth Davidson pulled out the letter that the SNP Govt hadn’t sought legal advice from the EU on Scottish membership and blew her out of the water”.
Anas Sarwar outperformed Nicola, as you stated, she was knocked for six and looked defensive.
Another previous point I made to the SNP that the fight needs to be fought on detail was ignored also. I tell them what is wrong; they ignore me and then pay the price at the ballot box and elsewhere.
You also forgot that Anas nailed Nicola on military shipbuilding when she got wrong that the outsourced MoD vessel wasn’t in fact a warship contract, all warships are all built ‘in house’ for over 50 years. She appeared not to understand the difference between a warship and an auxillary vessel.
Malcolm Chambers said to Commons Select Committee recently, those contracts can be rigged to suit design spec. This leaves the SNP argument that Scotland would get military shipbuilding to be in my opinion, baseless and without substance.
I enjoyed the BBC show, for me it wasn’t a problem being in front of a camera, but I would rather be in front of an SNP campaign, once the problems are sorted out regarding policies and direction.
The indy launch was a flop, set in the ‘historic’ setting of Cineworld!
I can make the case for independence but so many of the SNP can’t and that is a major problem since their voices are getting heard and mine isn’t.
I hope you enjoy the blog and thanks for taking the time to comment, I am a Scottish Nationalist but I am not a mindless sycophant.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
6 comments:
agreed George and about bloody time that people in the party stood up and said so like you and Aileen Campbell.
Cheers George
I'm not SNP. But, as you've possibly inferred, I like the language you speak.
It's refreshing and direct and has the ring of conviction.
That has to be a good thing.
Regards.
Cheers George.
Taken your point on board about Anas.
It's good to know that there are SNP guys out there with your conviction toward principles.
I don't like NATO, but I'm adult enough to know the difference between priorities and luxuries.
I'm not SNP, but I still could be an independence voter.
Guys like you provide better fare in the decision making process than the hordes of drones out there.
Regards
Dear Longshanker
“Taken your point on board about Anas”.
I like to deal in facts because in the independence debate that is the only currency that people will be interested in, subjective opinion is like the derivatives market, is it built on nothing.
How embarrassing was it that the Deputy First Minister gets nail to the wall on not seeking legal advice as the Scottish Government from the EU.
“It's good to know that there are SNP guys out there with your conviction toward principles”.
I am at present an outcast, if you stand up and tell ‘the clique’ they are wrong, you get smeared and treated badly in the SNP.
“I don't like NATO, but I'm adult enough to know the difference between priorities and luxuries”.
I am pro NATO for many reasons, in no order, it protects Scotland, protects jobs, allows Scottish Forces to get operational experience, plugs us into the Western intelligence grid.
And if the price is allowing UK and US deep water nuclear submarine fleet to be based at Faslane, I can live with that no problem. If I were to campaign and highlight an issue I am unhappy with it is the use of depleted uranium in weapon delivery systems deployed in Iraq and elsewhere which has cause birth defects among the population of Iraq and elsewhere, that is the real scandal that I feel Holyrood should take a lead on. You only have to look at the footage to get priorities in order regarding nuclear.
As an SNP member, I am pro nuclear power stations and also renewables, I feel that a balanced mix is essential given that wave and tidal technology can be subject to attack.
What is the plan McB if that infrastructure is destroyed? I don’t know I am pretty sure no one in the SNP has thought of that. So, we do need nuclear power stations in Scotland for energy security.
“I'm not SNP, but I still could be an independence voter”.
I am an independence supporter, I have always believed that Scotland should be independent, but like many others in the party it isn’t freedom at any cost, so far looking at Yes Scotland, they have been involved in two scandals, one using followers on twitter and portraying them as supporters and using friendsoftheunion.com to direct people to Yes Scotland website, not clever by a long chalk and quite stupid actually. This isn’t even a month and we have the indy launch derided as a flop, two scandals by Yes Scotland team.
Two and a half years to go to indy date and Alex Salmond needs someone or a group from outside to look at things and when necessary say no.
“Guys like you provide better fare in the decision making process than the hordes of drones out there”.
Thanks for the support, I get precious little in my own party at present.
Finally, on the 4th September 2010, I attended the SNP National Assembly in Perth and gave them two ideas, the Scottish National Police Force and Scottish National Fire Service but got no credit for it much in the same way I got no credit for my social media talk picked and used to change SNP campaigning.
How do you know I am not giving ideas to the SNP at present?
You just have to look at the car crashes in the independence campaign. I didn’t even get an invite to the independence launch having done so much for the party, but people who done little or next to nothing are honoured guests!
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
Too many nonenities in the SNP with the ear of those in power. too much singing about"FREEEEDOOOMMM" I'm glad your taking them to task.
Where is the effing detail on how an Independent Scotland will work?
Principles not personalities should be the order of the day.
I watched the Yes Scotland launch on Youtube and caught someone singing Caledonia, the feeling of the recording was, of a bad night at a Karoake Bar. what utter pish mate.
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