Flogging the dead SNP horse: Alex Salmond says ‘Yes will win next referendum if Westminster rejects Scottish Brexit deal’, Scotland’s unpopular SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon wouldn’t be winning anything as her failed European plan on Scottish Brexit ‘options’ is entirely meaningless

Dear All

As you know it is getting near Xmas time, a time for panto, a time for some guys to dress up as women and trip the boards fantastic all in the name of good fun.

The worst gambler in Scottish history is Alex Salmond, he bet the farm on Scotland winning independence and lost everything. When the dice rolled on 18^th September 2014, the result was already decided before the dice stopped rolling.

The people of Scotland in 28 out of 32 constituencies sent Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ a simple message, the answer is No!

And the answer will continue to be no despite the SNP still playing their little games, the SNP is a party of protest, it isn’t a party of government.

The Scottish National Party has spun their way to success at the ballot box based on the failures of other party’s mostly the Labour Party to deliver for Scots.

The Labour Party in Scotland is effectively dead and buried, the leadership and those below them decided that they weren’t representatives of the people and also they didn’t want to work for the people, hence we see in 2015 and 2016, the party wiped out at both elections, all self inflicted wounds.

Is there a way back for the Scottish Labour Party?

Not under Kezia Dugdale at present!

Her fate is already sealed, she just doesn’t know it yet, or maybe she does; the biggest threat to her is her own party members and momentum.

Having lost Scottish independence, Alex Salmond sulked off to Westminster, as the SNP passed the torch to unpopular Nicola Sturgeon; her tenure is littered with incompetence and failure to achieve. John McLaren; a leading economist and TV pundit of Newsnight Scotland etc has accused the SNP government of undermining public trust by disguising its own inaction and exaggerating its spending with a “duplicitous” Budget. You can't help notice SNP failure in health, education and transport.

Just as the SNP were seen to be a bunch of liars while campaigning for independence, they haven’t learned the lesson of telling the truth, even in government. 

The recent statement by Alex Salmond:

“Yes will win next referendum if Westminster rejects Scottish Brexit deal”.

This is an example of grasping at straws, the same old tired rhetoric of a man whose political career is crowned by the biggest failure of modern Scottish time!

So, for those who are less than able, here it is again, Scottish independence is dead!

The fact that someone like Alex Salmond blows his trumpet yet again is just risible; he is just a noise in the background, a ghost of the past who has no future. The idea that Nicola Sturgeon will win a second independence referendum within two years if the UK government fails to meet her demand for a soft Brexit for Scotland is a joke. After Brexit talks are done and dusted, there wouldn’t be a second Scottish independence referendum, it won’t be allowed by Westminster. Westminster will not allow it because of the uncertainty it causes and potential instability of financial markets.

Nicola Sturgeon cannot run a second independence referendum without a Section 30 order from Westminster, and to do so would cause all sorts of trouble which Sturgeon wants no part of as it could lead to her losing the government.    

Just as the White Paper for independence was a farce, the SNP have now produced Sturgeon’s back of a fag paper plan for a special Scottish deal for Brexit. So, what about the plan, what do you need to know?

You need to know nothing,, this is because, the SNP will not be in a negotiation with Brussels about a special Scottish deal, that would be illegal and not entertained by Westminster. There will be one Brexit deal which will cover the entire United Kingdom and nothing else, this plan has two reasons for existence, one to try and gain a ‘mindset’ with people that Scotland is a separate country within the EU and ‘independence’ solves everything, both these assumptions are wrong.

Sturgeon’s plan is doomed to failure because her central plank that is to stay in the single market, this is unacceptable to the British people because that involves freedom of movement which is a red line which even the Tories cannot accept. Theresa May is effectively commented to Brexit in full, and if Brexit ends up being hard then so be it, because just as it would be hard Brexit in the UK, it would be similar treatment for European countries.

Pain for pain!

Another idea which is automatically vetoed in the Sturgeon plan is a Norway-style membership of the European Economic Area. This will be killed off because a requirement for “substantial” devolution of new powers over immigration, business regulation and employment will never be accepted by Westminster, especially around immigration. The UK will not allow Nicola Sturgeon to operate a backdoor highway from the EU straight into the rest of the UK.

So, after you read the Sturgeon plan and get through the blah blah blah, you end up with Sturgeon saying she still believed the best future for Scotland was as an independent EU state.

Adam Tomkins, the Scottish Conservatives’ constitution spokesman, said:

"Scots don't want to go through another divisive independence referendum, but Alex Salmond repeated the SNP's threat to press ahead regardless. As we begin negotiations to leave the EU, we need a Scottish Government that ends the sabre-rattling, and focuses instead on the national interest, not its own political interest. As she publishes her paper this week, it is vital that Nicola Sturgeon shows she is prepared to be a First Minister for Scotland, not a First Minister for the SNP."

Scottish Labour's Europe spokesman Lewis Macdonald said:

“Alex Salmond gave the game away when he made it clear that the Nationalists are only really interested in finding an excuse to impose another referendum on the people of Scotland. The UK is Scotland's most important market. The SNP's own figures confirm remaining part of the UK single market is more important for Scotland's economy than even being in the EU.”

Scottish independence is dead, as to Alex Salmond, his political career is dead as well, shunted off to Westminster to clear the pitch for Sturgeon and what an arse she made of running Scotland, the longer the SNP hold power, the more they are shown to be incompetent, and at some point, the house of cards will cave in.

The worst gambler in Scottish history is Alex Salmond, he thinks he can win a bet on a second Scottish independence win, the SNP have lost ground where it counts, being the best of the worst available doesn’t make you popular, it just makes you a vessel for protest.

The Sturgeon plan for Europe is an example of work having no meaning, no benefit and tying up human capital, money and resources, if you are searching for a word to best describe these people……. the word is clowns!

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University