Conservative deputy presiding officer at the Scottish Parliament John Scott says the mood right for “reconciliation” after Scottish independence referendum, does he do paint and decorating, because trying to paper over a crack with shit doesn’t produce a good finish

Dear All

One of the things which I commented on was how there would be ‘an act’ by the mainstream political parties of coming together for the ‘sake of Scotland’.

Apparently the Conservative deputy presiding officer at the Scottish Parliament John Scott has decided that the time is right for a mood of reconciliation. He bases this on the fact that the country approaches Remembrance Day.

Perhaps as he stood in Ypres, he was overcome by the emotion of it all, there will be a political coming together but that is to maintain the status quo on the surface at least. The Scottish independence campaign will be remembered as Alex Salmond and unpopular Nicola Sturgeon’s greatest political failure.

Aside from that it will also be remembered for the vast hatred generated by Nationalists and their allies against people campaigning to stay within the Union.

Getting all weepy eyed isn’t going to fix that, there is and there will be no reconciliation other than the sham by politicians.

I don’t know what planet John Scott inhabits but it isn’t the one I am standing on. Perhaps during this campaign he was spared the hate campaign directed towards him and doesn’t understand how deep it goes.

The fight on 18^th September wasn’t about independence it was about stopping fascist Scotland rising.  It was about stopping Scottish working class people becoming even more second class citizens than they already are. It was all about fighting the ‘big lie’.

John Scott:

“There is a tremendous feeling of connection with all of our brave Scottish ancestors who gave their lives for the freedom and democracy.”

He added:

“Today is indicative of the sense of reconciliation across what we previously knew as the British Isles, but today the Scots, the Irish, the English and the Welsh have come together to commemorate those who were there to be counted and stood up for the freedoms that it was felt necessary to stand up for 100 years ago. I believe there is now a mood of reconciliation in Scotland following the referendum allowing us in Scotland to move forward and build with the new powers that we believe will come to Scotland and build a new and more prosperous Scotland.”

Firstly, just because there is a ceremony doesn’t change a thing, and secondly, we already know that no one is working to build a new and more prosperous Scotland.

Perhaps John Scott needs to spend time looking at how the poor and disadvantaged are treated and how nothing is done to help but plenty is done to make their situation worse. The Tory Government did a great job in helping deliver a Yes vote in Glasgow by their actions.

By actions I mean Government policy to punish the poor, now lots of people are politically active and they want another referendum, not on the basis of ‘milk and honey’ that as we all know doesn’t exist, but to get rid of English rule.

The central belt Nationalist campaign was seen by many as ‘hate the English’ vote Yes.

It maybe with the decline of the Labour Party that a new referendum will be held in under 10 years whether Westminster likes it or not.

Westminster was given a final chance.

Currently the Labour Party is going through some type of soul searching exercise and infighting as they try to “discover their roots”, however it is highly doubtful that this will be successful in my opinion without a fundamental culture change in how they operate.

Changing their name won’t help.

The Union maybe saved at present however the Labour Party needs to wake up to internal political executions of elected members.

That's assuming they are interested in survival. 

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University