Donkeys led by an uber donkey, unpopular SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s reign as leader is rapidly drawing to an inglorious end, and on the brink of losing three referendums in a row, pressure from Unionists parties, Alex Salmond, the SNP Cult and Nationalists, Sturgeon has no choice to name the day of the end of her political career, that would be indyref 2 vote plus one!

Dear All

One word…….. ambush!

You will no doubt have seen many movies where there is a set piece ambush which a group wipes out the opposition or cripples them so badly. There is an ambush being setup at present to push unpopular First Minister Nicola Sturgeon into going for an early referendum. She then like Scotland’s ‘jolly fat man’ Alex Salmond would lose very badly, it would be a total humiliation for her, lost three referendums on the trot.

September 2014 was delicious was it not?

Early hours of the 19^th September 2014, the arrogant fool that is Alex Salmond being driven away after getting stuffed by the people of Scotland, such an unhappy look on his face.

All the pieces for indyref 2 aren’t in play yet and the position is still in flux, but the general seeds of the fight have been planted. I especially like the nice touch by David Davis of the myth of a separate immigration fig held to the SNP. Davis as Brexit Secretary suggested immigration policy after Brexit would reflect regional needs.

The uncertainty of whether Nicola Sturgeon will or will not jump isn’t particularly interesting, either way she loses,, now or later, it doesn’t matter, a recent poll said to 50/50 on Scottish independence has been published, but polls don’t always reflect the ballot box.

If Sturgeon gets sucked into pinning her hopes and career on late 2018, she will come unstuck; no guarantee that Westminster will accommodate her. The main Unionist Parties of Scottish Labour and Scottish Conservatives aren’t ready, Scotland in Union hasn’t developed enough and there isn’t the experience of the ground in depth in the organisation. You can’t fight indyref 2 half arsed, because one thing the SNP learned from their debacle was that they lack substance in policy.

Brexit talks haven’t started yet, and it is doubtful given the speed of Westminster and Brussels that everything will be concluded by the end of 2018. It could well drag on into 2019 which is better for organisations like Scotland in Union who stand a pretty good chance of being the primary organisation to get public funding if a referendum vote does go ahead.

Of course the use of the buzzword ‘common sense’ isn’t new, it was used before by the Conservatives in elections, but potential timing of another vote remains with Westminster, Sturgeon and Salmond got an easy ride last, they picked the time and franchise and still lost.

The idea of a bespoke Brexit deal for Scotland is nonsense, utter nonsense, Scotland isn’t staying in the European Union, like the rest of the UK; we are leaving. And as you know, one out, all out, no bits of the UK stay in via some quasi legal mumbo jumbo deal of access to the single market or variation of it.

One thing which would be amusing and certainly would come up in any possible future referendum if held in the near future would be the press asking is this one a "once in a generation" choice?

Sturgeon wants access to the single market and to allow freedom of movement to continue.

So, what is the single market?

https://fullfact.org/europe/what-single-market/

Single market rules require the free movement from one EU member country to another of goods, people; services and capital, given Brexit, we wouldn’t fall into the category of ‘services from one EU member country to another’, since there then would be no Scottish membership.

I personally think that Nicola Sturgeon has been like she always has been, stupid; she has built up expectations so much that she has to declare 2018 as a possible referendum date to the upcoming SNP Conference. If she doesn’t then the focus turns on whether she can continue as leader of the party.

People are expecting an announcement of a date!

Previously I did an article on the Return of King Alex, other people have commented on the same issue including journalists, and as if by magic, Alex Salmond hints he could return to lead the SNP for a third time.

Alex Salmond’s time as leader has come and gone, but he hasn’t the dignity to step back and let others emerge, the SNP is the Alex Salmond Party, so I doubt that there will be a real contest for leader if any at all. Just as Sturgeon was ‘crowned’ with a challenge, so would Alex Salmond.

The pressure is on, and it looks like the Scottish political landscape is about to bust wide open, the SNP are about to show that they aren’t relevant to the people of Scotland.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University