Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Prime Minister David Cameron wades into the indyref 2 row and says ‘No need for second independence referendum’, it is time to move on politically and stop listening to Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond’s constant carping, the boat has sailed on independence, time to shape the new political landscape of the United Kingdom


















Dear All

You may have heard the phrases ‘the party is over’ and ‘the boat has sailed’, that is exactly what has happened in regard to Scottish independence.

It was a botched campaign lacking in substance and all about spin.

On the 18th September 2014, the people of Scotland said no to independence, the vote was decisive, 55% in favour of staying in the United Kingdom.

Why did the people of Scotland not back Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, it came down to a simple concept, trust, the majority people don’t trust the SNP with their future.

At the Westminster 2015 election, the minority who voted for independence backed the SNP because they thought this was another route to independence.

It wasn’t, like much of what Nicola Sturgeon does it was another false dawn.

In Scotland, there is a political vacuum which needs to be filled; Scotland needs a new centre party which can encapsulate the best aspects of policies of what are termed ‘the left’ and ‘the right’.

Although the Conservative Party is a centre right party, it has failed in Scotland.

The evidence isn’t the result of Westminster 2015 but over circa 35 years, Ruth Davidson like most leaders of parties takes comfort from saying that the Conservative vote went up. The reality for the Conservatives is that Ruth Davidson did fail her first real test in Westminster 2015, and things look bleak in 2015.

Ruth Davidson is ‘holding the fort’, what she isn’t doing is making progress, eventually that will click with party bosses, post Holyrood 2016.

This is just an observation from the sidelines.

Down the road at the Westminster village, the real decisions are still made by David Cameron. The Nationalists at present are trying to keep the independence dream alive but everything has a shelf life. The SNP cannot keep their momentum and importantly the commitment of their new SNP members going indefinitely. Sooner or later these people will wake up and discover, not only is nothing happening on the independence front but also nothing is getting done by the SNP Government.

When they grasp the SNP isn’t a party of government but solely of protest, they will fade away, hence we have Salmond being bizarre and grasping at straws, it doesn’t matter what the excuse is, it is in their eyes reason for a second vote.

As I wrote at the top of the post, ‘the party is over’ and ‘the boat has sailed’, and it has, there is a new political landscape emerging, not just in Scotland but also in the rest of the United Kingdom.

English votes (for) English laws is a symptom of the new concept, although I don’t agreed with Evel in principle, and see it as an affront to democracy, it probably will be pushed through, no Scottish MP should have lesser voting rights than any other MP.

It is a sledgehammer to crack a nut and I seriously doubt it will fix anything let alone the mood of the English public who see Scots get things they don’t in England and that has stoked up resentment.

What should be remember is that political choices were made in Scotland, and there has been a knock on effect which is unseen by the English public at large. They are just reading the headlines, they aren’t doing the research and importantly they aren’t asking the right questions.    

Salmond said recently:

“I think a second independence referendum is inevitable. The question is not the inevitability, it’s the timing and that is very much in the hands of Nicola Sturgeon.”

Firstly, a second referendum isn’t inevitable and it is very much in the hands of David Cameron, not Nicola Sturgeon, she doesn’t get to sanction a second vote because this matter is reserved to Westminster.

David Cameron said:

“I think it is important that a referendum is legal and fair and properly constituted and that’s what we had and it was decisive so I don’t see the need for another one.”

If Nicola Sturgeon decided to have a second illegal referendum without a section 30 order from Westminster, she will find rather quickly that legal action would see the Scottish Government and Parliament shut down.

And she won’t risk losing that platform.

Do you know what time it is politically?  

It is time to look at a new construct of the United Kingdom which appears to be emerging albeit slowly.

Finally, it can’t have escaped SNP members notice that the Scottish Government run by Nicola Sturgeon not only is doing nothing, but they are making matters worse.

There comes a point when you have to walk away and find a new party of government because the protest thing has no place in administration.

Yours sincerely

George Laird 
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

The SNP has now got the following issues to deal with, and cannot blame Westminster, hence the diversionary tactics of a second referendum:

Teacher shortages
NHS shortages
Police Control room shortages
A named person policy that smacks of state control
A data sharing policy, yet ironically Sturgeon moans about MSPs being monitored by GCHQ.

Cameron will never agree to a second referendum. No doubt, some of the more fundamentalist nationalists will demand UDI, which Sturgeon dare not consider as there would be legal challenges (me included, if I can get legal aid).

I fully agree with the comments about the Clutha Bar. But if Jim Murphy had turned up, the arsehole protestors would have also been there, with no consideration for the feelings of the bereaved.

What is also pissing me off is Sturgeon's little chuckle whenever she answers questions. Obviously trying to copy Salmond, but it doesn't work. She's desperately trying to get out of his shadow, but it ain't working. As far as I am concerned, he is controlling the party, not he. If he wasn't there, she wouldn't last five minutes.

Anonymous said...

Without doubt, independence is over. Until the SNP are removed though, they will just create more havoc and pain for Scotland. What really grates me, is that we pay for these jokers and it's big bucks. All they've done is con the public while lining the pockets of their family and friends. Bunch of Pirates.

Anonymous said...

Seems that the SNP have failed to realise that the vote changed everything. Between the years of 1707 and 2014, the union did not have a democratic mandate. Now post 2014, the union DOES have a democratic mandate, which means that this is a different ballgame, but Sturgeon, Salmond et al have failed to recognise this.

Anonymous said...

Explain the GE 2015 result then

G Laird said...

Dear Anon

"Explain the GE 2015 result then."

I did explain it in detailed in February 2015.

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/fucking-it-all-up-labour-leader-jim.html

Hope this helps.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Anonymous said...

Absolutely spot on Mr Laird.

Very interesting to see this in the Nats 'Fanzine' the National;

http://www.thenational.scot/politics/ex-snp-leader-gordon-wilson-urges-first-minister-to-make-currency-plans-and-wait-until-a-yes-vote-is-guaranteed.5692

A FORMER leader of the SNP has called on Nicola Sturgeon to resist calls for an early second referendum on independence until the time is right.

Wilson, now director of the think tank Options for Scotland, said: “The time is not yet ripe. Support for independence is falling, indeed sunk to 43 per cent while support for the SNP itself is rising."

Wilson agreed with Alex Salmond’s remark that another referendum was inevitable.

However, he added: “What is not inevitable is a Yes vote, never mind independence itself.”

Seems like the SNP are admitting defeat, I wonder what will happen when the foot soldiers realise they are being sold out?

There'll be tears before bedtime, and greeting about UDI...

Stuart

G Laird said...

Hi Stuart

The problem for Nicola Sturgeon is that no time with be the right time, not with her at the helm.

Westminster 2015, the people wanted rid of Labour, you did run a really bad campaign by their standards coupled with a lack of activists willing to come out for them.

At present the party is soul searching on either side of the border, but the fix they need is major, new people and new policies.

Politics in Scotland is a small pond and the pool of real talent even smaller.

George

J. R. Tomlin said...

"the Scottish parliament will be shut down". Or for pity's sake, get a brain. That won't happen because if it did it would absolutely guarantee Scotland leaving the union.

G Laird said...

Dear J R Tomlin

"the Scottish parliament will be shut down". Or for pity's sake, get a brain. That won't happen because if it did it would absolutely guarantee Scotland leaving the union.

You seem rather rattled, and perhaps if you lived in Scotland, you would be more wiser, as to your assumption of "absolutely guarantee Scotland leaving the union".

The majority of Scotland don't back the SNP and the Nationalists know it.

George

www.poledesign.co.uk said...

Very good article. I want my country back and out of the hands of these self serving biggots.