Scottish independence: Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s speech attracts fewer than 100 people in Glasgow; her personal indy ‘vision’ lacks popular support

Dear All

In an increasingly desperate attempt to grab headlines Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minister says that opposition parties will get a say in formal cross-Border talks to shape an independent Scotland if voters opt to leave the UK.

In order for the idea to have meaning there would have to be formal party talks prior to the independence vote.

And I doubt any unionist party will agree to that, and certainly not from a position of strength.

If Nicola Sturgeon was trying to woo non-SNP voters to the cause of independence with this little tiny ‘carrot’ she is so out of touch.

The idea is bland, banal and unimpressive, aside from the Labour for Independence crowd polls show overwhelmingly the public is against independence.

Any vision has to be grounded in fact and as we have seen the SNP Government is less keen to tell Scottish people the information they want to know. 

Her keynote speech on the constitution, she said Scotland's Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat leaders would argue the country's case as strongly as Alex Salmond if they were defeated in the referendum.

This isn’t fact, it is supposition and pretty thin, it fails to take into account that the three main Unionists parties might start their own campaign to rejoin the union.

Ms. Sturgeon says that opposition parties, trade unions, charities, churches and other civic bodies would also be consulted on creating a written constitution for the new state.

As we have previously seen SNP consultations where the majority have spoken have been ignored by Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, so that won’t fly.  

Apparently the SNP strategy in part is to reach beyond SNP supporters, she said:

"Although the independence negotiations that will follow a Yes vote will be led by the Scottish Government, we will not act alone. If there is a Yes vote for independence, then let me make it clear – the Scottish Government will invite representatives of the other political parties and of civic Scotland to contribute to those negotiations”.

That is meaningless tat, having your voice heard and then ignored isn’t worth the paper it is written on.

She added:

"When the people have spoken, we will emerge from it as one united nation”.

This is again supposition, there is no evidence to support her statement, it is bland, banal and pointless.

She further added:

"We will be team Scotland, and at that moment in our history, I am sure – whatever they say this side of the referendum – that Johann Lamont, Ruth Davidson and Willie Rennie will argue Scotland's case as strongly as Alex Salmond and Patrick Harvie."

It is in their interest not to join in, far from it, although it is unlikely to succeed given the present way the indy campaign is run, lets pretend that she knows what she is venting for a moment. It would be in the interest of unionist parties to stay out of any negotiations and when Salmond and Sturgeon deliver a bad deal, they get the full blame, thereby paving the way for the Unionist parties electoral success at the polls. 

Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday that she did not believe independence was essential to preserve the Scottish identity.

This begs the question who does she want to turn this country over to if not the Scottish people?

Big business?

Bought and sold for Amazon Gold?

Her speech to business leaders, academics and representatives of civic Scotland at Glasgow's Barony Hall attracted fewer than 100 people.

Fewer than 100 people, she certainly knows how to empty a room!

It seems that a publicity hungry Ms. Sturgeon is starting to look seriously ridiculous, how long will it be before she starts to turn up at the ‘opening of an envelope’?

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University