Scottish independence campaign is turning into a nightmare and debacle as Treasury slaps down Alex Salmond’s bank claim out of hand

Dear All

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

P6.

On the BBC Big Debate, I was lucky to be picked to sit in the studio audience; it was a pretty mix bag as I recognised people who are activists in various political parties.

During the debate, SNP Deputy Leader Nicola Sturgeon said that Scotland would be keeping the pound and that Scotland would have representation on the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC).

On the first issue, the SNP Government have no such agreement with the UK Government for monetary union and on the second point; they won’t get representation on the monetary policy committee either.

Although highly embarrassing to be caught out like that, it wasn’t the end of the world for Nicola Sturgeon and to be fair it isn’t her fault, she isn’t a Westminster MP and doesn't know the Westminster system.

Although the SNP do stand candidates for Westminster General Elections, the party and its candidates fair badly.

People tend to vote for the Labour Party in Scotland; the SNP carved out a niche for themselves presenting them as the party of domestic politics, the other edge to that sword is that they struggle to be seen as relevant in the Westminister Village with voters.

Westminster 2010, Alex Salmond says that the Scottish National Party was going to deliver 20 MPs thereby having a sizeable voting block in the event of a hung government.

In the end they got the same 6 returned and lost John Mason who won the 2008 by-election in Glasgow East by 365 votes.

Prior to losing I told John Mason twice that there was a problem in his area he needed to address, he lost by about 13,000 odd to Margaret Curran, the Labour MP.

George Laird was right again.

Anyway ancient history, back to present, an independent Scotland would have no say over monetary policy if it retained the pound, Treasury officials in London said last night declared.

Previously Alex Salmond claimed it would be “entirely reasonable” for a separate Scotland to have the same influence that the UK Treasury does over the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee (MPC).

This statement is actually a step back from what Nicola Sturgeon said, she seem pretty sure about that representation on the BBC.

Subjective opinion isn’t fact, something which I have been trying to tell the SNP which they take not a blind bit of notice.

Another out of touch statement by Alex Salmond was when he told MSPs that Scotland would “expect to be part of the appointments process”.

You can expect all you like; getting it would be something else entirely.

In the Westminster Village, the SNP are a marginalised party in British politics, however generally Speakers of the House of Commons tend to be pretty fair to allow them opportunities to speak.

Once the banking gaffe was made by the SNP, it was quickly seized on by others, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont described Mr Salmond’s claims as “meaningless assertions.”

She also said the Scottish Government had not asked bosses at the Bank of England about the issue rather like the Scottish Government hadn’t sought advice about EU membership.

Alex Salmond sooner or later will have to face the truth, and the truth is he will have to deal in facts and have to do the work for independence.

The Treasury has since issued a statement, saying:

“Scotland using the pound through a sterlingisation mechanism … would have no say over its own monetary policy as set by the Bank of England.”

Previously the SNP had a position regarding wanting to join the Euro, at present they have changed their mind and want to keep the pound.

The situation in Europe regarding the Euro is that the currency is unstable because Fiscal union must be in tandem with monetary and political union. The Euro cannot cope and function as it currently does, it is tearing Europe apart.

Again, something I blog on is radical reform of the EU.

Despite the debacle of the Yes Scotland launch, Johann Lamont highlights what many people in the SNP say privately to me.

The SNP cannot answer basic questions about independence.

Johann Lamont finished by saying:

“If the First Minister gets his way, we are fewer than four years away from leaving the UK, yet on the currency, on our interest rates, on how much we would be able to spend, how much we could borrow, how much tax we could raise, he has done nothing.”

Eventually the reality may sink in for Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP Government, Yes Scotland and the SNP, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon, they think they are too clever.

Later on, the panic will set in as the whole thing slides sideways and Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon then realise their untalented clique don’t have George Laird radical thinking.

And never did!

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University