Monday, July 16, 2012

Pressure mounts on First Minister Alex Salmond to drop the disastrous devo max question from ballot paper, it’s a defeatist attitude, all or nothing!













Dear All

In the James Bond movie, Thunderball starring Sean Connery, there was a memorable scene set in a casino:

007: "Yes, I thought I saw a, spectre, at your shoulder."

Largo: "What makes you say that?"

007: "The spectre of defeat....that your luck was due to change."

The reality is Alex Salmond and the Scottish National Party, the public tide has turned as more people are coming out against the second question which has been branded as ‘defeatist’.

Former SNP leader Gordon Wilson has branded it defeatist and goes further to say that the second question has drained public support and showed ministers believed they could not win outright.

Given the current disastrous strategy which lacks substance, policy and vision, the independence vote is dead in the water.

Others see what Alex Salmond’s middle class clique cannot or will not own up to, and each day there are more converts to the anti second question.

It’s either all or nothing.

Things are so bad now, that even the pro-nationalist Scottish Independence Convention, fronted by Elaine C Smith is attacking First Minister Alex Salmond to reject a "meaningless" second question.

Alex Salmond is looking increasingly isolated over the referendum; it’s just him and his clique.

And his clique isn’t very bright, more people are noticing that as disaster after disaster becomes the trademark of this Scottish Government’s term in office.

Gordon Wilson fired a broadside when he said:

"There is only one reason why they would do so, defeatism, stemming from a belief that they can't deliver a Yes vote for independence."

The independence launch was a flop, but even worse than that debacle was the fact that the work need to be done…… wasn’t!

People that I know in the party were shocked when Nicola Sturgeon experienced ‘hell in the pacific’ when Ruth Davidson produced a letter that the Scottish Government never contacted the EU about the legality of Scottish membership.

We now also see Professor Stephen Tierney, who will advise the Scottish Government on the referendum suggesting two questions could be seen as a ploy by the public.

For unionist politicians this is manor from heaven, Patricia Ferguson, Scottish Labour's constitutional spokeswoman, said:

"Alex Salmond is looking increasingly isolated in his campaign for a fall-back option on the referendum as a consensus builds around a single question. When the academic he has hired to have oversight of the referendum tells Alex Salmond this is just a ploy, it's time he started listening and got on with asking people straight whether they want to break up Britain or not."

The Scottish Government feebly hit back by saying ministers had always said they would take a broad range of views into account before making a decision.

I don’t think many people will believe that statement.

Devo max is all about saving certain people in the SNP from embarrassment and members asking questions about the failure to win independence, by claiming that devo max is a victory.

Many see it as ‘carrot’ for the Holyrood 2016 Campaign under the ‘standing up for Scotland’ theme.

But devo max isn’t within the providence of Holyrood to deliver; it is a bogus question out with the legal remit of Holyrood.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already pledged extra powers for Scotland but only if it rejects independence in the referendum, and he isn’t saying what those powers will be.

Perhaps Mr. Salmond should go and get his own house in order before he starts off to claim a nation.

In his own party, there isn’t fairness, equality and social justice, bullying is rife and he hasn’t stamped out a poisonous nasty clique which has grown up round the leadership.

So far, the public having looked at what is going on have said a resounding no!

To quote The Reverent Ian Paisley:

“No, no, no!”

Finally, here is some abuse sent anonymously to my blog by a cybernat:

“George, why don't you just accept that you are despised by your former colleagues in the SNP - which is why you gained a single vote in a free and fair candidate election? You clearly can't accept that the SNP does not have the same view of your "talent" as you do. Why don't you you just leave the SNP? They don'f want you. I am under no impression that you will not publish this comment. But you will read it. And hopefully you will leave the SNP - every branch you have been in has either kicked you out or tried to. Your behaviour is weird and erratic. You will never be an SNP candidate. Please leave our party”.

This is why independence is dead; the Scottish National Party is run as a poisonous nasty little clique.

Apparently asking for your rights as a party member is deemed by some as “weird and erratic” behaviour.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm a member of the SNP and you certainly aren't looked upon as "weird and erratic" as that poisonous member said.
You say what many in the Party think but are too scared to say.

It's not a good idea to speak your mind in the SNP, it wouldn't take long to be a target much the same as yourself if you did.

What I can say is that many members are horrified by the revelations that no work to gain Independence has been done.

Jingoism, poetry readings, "c" class actors and MSP's who have wheedled their way in and burnt out band members, this is where all the effort has gone. Many members are disgusted by all this cronyism.
19.000 members and only 26,000 responses to the Independence question.

I'm not surprised!

Anonymous said...

George,

Please do not heed the comments sugested by this misguided party member. Our branch and indeed the party needs talent like you.

Your work ethic, insight and vision for the future were second to none when you worked at John Masons campaign in Glasgow East

G Laird said...

Dear Anon

Thanks for the write up. I think many people in the party who have met me can't fault my efforts when I am on the campaign trail.

Cllr Vincent Waters told John Mason at the Inverclyde by-election that he rated me as being the same as three ordinary activists.

George

Longshanker said...

George

I'm on holiday in England just now. Just read the Daily Record piece regarding your disciplinary.

Not that you'll need it, but here's a definition of 'gay' from the Oxford Dictionary:

"4 informal, often offensive foolish, stupid, or unimpressive: he thinks the obsession with celebrity is totally gay"

Hope you stick it to them where it hurts.

This is the fascist side of political correctness bud.

Good luck

George Laird for MSP.

G Laird said...

Dear Longshanker

The charge against me is completely without foundation.

Despite going through hundreds of posts and finding nothing, all the SNP National Secretary could come up with was a vacuous complaint, my right to representation of my choice was also denied personally by him as the complainer.

Effectively the complainer William Henderson was involved in organising the hearing against me, spoke to the judge outside the process, and knew I submitted written evidence prior to any hearing having taken place.

If this was a court of law, there would be a formal investigation and suspension of both the judge and the administrator (Henderson).

Does that look like I am going to get a fair hearing to you?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University