Scottish independence: Yes Scotland Chief Blair Jenkins hails the ‘conversion’ of Glasgow Councillor Stephen Dornan to being a Yes Voter; he says he is interested in saving Govan Shipbuilding yard, why is he stepping onto a sinking ship then?

Dear All

I was quite vocal about the need for a cull of Labour Councillors prior to the 2012 Council election. Some people deserved to be thrown out on their arse because they were treating the council like their own private club.

The cull when it came was brutal, among the walking dead was Councillor Stephen Dornan, he represents Ward 5 which is Govan. He and some other deselected councillors then stood under the the Glasgow First banner.

Dornan was the only one elected. 

Apparently Dornan was an activist the pro-Union campaign, I never saw him out campaigning in my area or had a leaflet put through my door by him. He was out campaigning for a No vote alongside Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont and shadow Scottish secretary Margaret Curran.

What does that mean?

Well that means standing about possibly handing out a few leaflets and getting his picture taken before disappearing. 

Dornan said he had decided to switch his vote from No to Yes because he believes only independence will protect Scotland’s National Health Service.

That is rubbish, complete rubbish.

He said:

“With a No vote, I fear we will suffer the consequences of the market-driven NHS England model and here in Scotland, we will be paying for our own healthcare within just a matter of years”.

Scotland’s health service will never go the same way as England and it will always be free at the point of use.

His next point is:

“I strongly believe in Yes because I firmly believe it will allow us to build a fairer and more prosperous society which looks after its people. Put simply, Scotland’s future looks much better with Yes.”

That is also rubbish, in the Cadder Case, the SNP Government wanted to deny the right of an accused to a fair trial, only the UK Supreme Court fixed that issue of fairness. As to Scotland being a more prosperous society that doesn’t mean ordinary people, the SNP aren’t going to redistribute Scotland’s wealth.

The best laugh of his ‘conversion’ is that Dornan wrongly believes that only independence can save the Govan shipyard. Recently Govan shipyard was saved albeit with job losses of 835 people by the British Government. Of that total of job losses the SNP Government managed to save not a single job. Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney went on a ‘mission’ to try and take credit by seeing to be doing something when they were actually doing nothing.

Unpopular Nicola Sturgeon was told off for playing games with people’s lives by the unions.

Dornan added regarding the yards:

“With a Yes, it will be able to diversify and do other things. But if Scotland votes No, the yard will be dead by 2019, when the present orders finish.”

He sits in on defence procurement?

Or is it just an assumption based on the ending of a contract?

Either way Stephen Dornan isn’t stating a fact on anything.

Yes Scotland chief executive Blair Jenkins said:

“We are delighted that Stephen Dornan has declared his support for Yes. He is a hugely respected Glasgow councillor with a well-deserved reputation for working hard for those he represents”.

Presumably Jenkins didn’t do any activism in the Govan by-election of October 2013 with regard to Dornan’s “well-deserved reputation for working hard for those he represents”.

Some residents I spoke to in Drumoyne Circus paint a different picture of the “hugely respected Glasgow councillor”.

I wonder if Stephen Dornan’s conversion to Yes may in the future be further converted to him joining the SNP as a councillor.

One thing is certain, he is on the wrong side of destiny, much like the residents of Drumoyne Circus say they are on the wrong side of the road for getting representation off him.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University