Scottish independence: President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy torpedoes SNP claims on EU membership, unpopular Nicola Sturgeon steered indy ‘onto the rocks’ but there is always room for a torp below the water line, SNP ‘Ratship’ sinking fast

Dear All

There have been some great submarine movies, Run Silent Run Deep, Crimson Tide, The Hunt for Red October, Enemy Below and Destination Toyko.

I would recommend all of them.

But one of the best launches of a torpedo has to be Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council.

He has sunk the SNP's plans to fast-track any independent Scotland's EU membership in future.

Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond and Scotland’s unpopular Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s position is now completely untenable on this issue.

Herman says new states would have to apply in the usual way.

That means join the queue and wait to be seen.

It is a relatively straightforward situation, Scotland if independent isn’t part of the UK, and therefore there is no contract, and no membership.

A newly independent state is classed as a "third country" and would have to apply using "the known accession procedures".

“High speed screw, torpedo in the water!”

Ka boom….. direct hit, the SNP sink holed below the water line, abandon ship, abandon ship.

Herman was responding to the announcement of an independence referendum in Catalonia, in Spain, there is a real independence movement which has popular support among the people of Catalonia.

In Scotland, both Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon can’t attract any support beyond their dissolving core voters which are leeching away each day.

You see the SNP never put an A Team in place for the independence bid.

Labour and Conservative MSPs who are having a decent indy campaign said Herman’s comments "blew away" the SNP proposals of fast-tracking into the EU.

In a bizarre state the Scottish Government insisted the remarks did not apply to Scotland, talk about self denial, you know that this is a sign of delusion when someone will not face up to reality.

The SNP's White Paper on independence is an expensive, poor crafted con trick. It isn’t a game changer and it fell flat on its face on the day it was launched.

Salmond and Sturgeon argue that in the event of a Yes vote in next year's referendum Scotland would become a full EU member, to that end they cite Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union.

This is to confuse Scottish people to back their crumbling campaign, and as we have seen what they say is usually questionable.

Joining the EU is usually done under a process detailed in Article 49 of the union's key treaty.

Mr van Rompuy said:

"If a part of the territory of a member state ceases to be a part of that state because that territory becomes a new independent state, the treaties will no longer apply to that territory. In other words, a new independent state would, by the fact of its independence, become a third country with respect to the Union and the treaties would, from the day of its independence, not apply any more on its territory."

So, don’t believe Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon, trust the people in the EU itself, they know their rules better than the SNP.

Smoke and mirrors won’t work on the public.

Scottish Labour's external affairs spokeswoman Patricia Ferguson said:

"Alex Salmond's position on an independent Scotland's membership of the European Union is no longer tenable. The most senior officials in the European Union are contradicting his assertions yet he just sticks his fingers in his ears."

Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson said:

"An independent Scotland wouldn't call the shots in negotiating entry to the EU, nor would it get any special treatment. It would join the back of the same queue as every other country. Mr Van Rompuy blows away Alex Salmond's assertion in the White Paper that an Independent Scotland could use a special means of entry."

And less we forget Van Rompuy's comments some familiar to those of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Barraso sometime ago blew out unpopular Nicola Sturgeon’s request for a meeting, and said a newly independent state would be treated as a "third country".

The UK Government has rejected Salmond's call for a joint approach, saying it cannot pre-negotiate Scottish independence.

So, now SNP members know, they are backing two fools who haven’t got the skills to deliver the goods.

To add humour to the situation, officials have described the Scottish Government's plan as a "novel" interpretation of EU law.

The SNP’s EU debacle is a clearly running sore of utter incompetence that literally beggars belief, a sign that Alex Salmond isn’t a Statesman.

My advice to SNP members, it is time to clear out and don’t waste another minute helping these clowns!

Here is a quote from George Laird regarding the SNP's efforts:

“Rather than 'The A Team' it looked more like 'The GAY Team' in nature”.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University