SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s dilemma; Theresa May tells Nicola Sturgeon Scots have 'no appetite' for second independence referendum, the answer is no, now the tide has turned against Nicola Sturgeon, the endgame of her leading the SNP has begun, will she gamble on calling a new Holyrood election?

Dear All

Nicola Sturgeon has reignited the Scottish independence debate, along with another fairytale SNP blueprint, not because she has any chance of winning, no, but to shore up her crumbling support as leader of the SNP.

Sturgeon knows along with everyone else, there is no appetite for a second independence referendum. People know this on the ground, and Conservative MP Michael Gove knows it at the other end of the political spectrum. Support for independence is dropping, support for Nicola Sturgeon is dropping and support for the SNP is dropping.

This slide has been dramatic since 2015; the Nationalist coupled with an angry independence support managed 56 seats at Westminster, a mere two years later that dropped with the snap election of 2017 to 35 seats.

So, what is wrong with the concept of independence?

The answer is simple, no one, no one in their right mind trusts the SNP to lead an independent Scotland, 2014 only brought into the light of day what many suspected, the SNP are a bunch of liars!

The Scottish independence bid of 2014 was built on deceit and showed the true face of the leadership of the SNP in all its glory. When Alex Salmond jumped ship, you might have thought this brought ‘renew’ of the party with the 2015 result.

It didn’t.

The same worthless, corrupt and rotten leadership remained albeit a new ‘front man’ leading it.

Having hoisted the flag, Nicola Sturgeon hasn’t captured the imagination of the public, the new indy marches are a joke in my opinion. They are more an exercise to reassure those who follow the SNP line rather attracting new followers to the cause, because the ‘cause’ is moral, ethically and economically bankrupt.

In one fell swoop; Theresa May has slapped down Nicola Sturgeon, insisting Scots have "no appetite" for a second independence referendum. Sturgeon’s rallying cry ended more or less after it left her month.

Gosh that was quick!!!!!!

Michael Gove claims the Union was now "stronger than ever", however, this is more a political statement rather than a fact, Ruth Davidson is right to warned fellow Unionists about the “dangers of complacency”. If you don’t know what the dangers are the elections of 2015 and 2017 spell it out for you in hard facts. Scotland still remains in political flux at this time; the trick here is to manage change, not an easy task.

The Scottish Labour Party didn’t get their act together, they didn’t understand the “dangers of complacency” and hence they are now the third party of Scotland. A party which failed to change with the times, understand the needs of the voters and didn’t represent the people, instead they brought in their agenda which the people rejected. If the Labour Party doesn’t change from the notion of federalism, they are sunk on both sides of the border.

Their problem not mine, I don’t condone stupidity, and fall to see a reason to support it when it is presented to me.

As Sturgeon prepares for the publication of the SNP's Growth Commission report on the economic case for independence, it is already just a propaganda document, because it is all geared up to say one thing.

Everything is better with independence.

The same lie peddled in the White Paper which SNP MSP Joan McAlpine said was a more important document than the American Declaration of Independence. 650 pages of rubbish against a historic document…. Let me think…… bollocks!

The Commission’s report isn’t a vehicle to "restart the debate" on Scotland’s future, it is a joke, everyone knows no matter what deal comes from Brexit, the SNP will say it is not good enough.

In a clear signal that Nicola Sturgeon has missed the boat, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said:

“Now is not the time for another divisive independence referendum and there is no appetite for one. The people of Scotland voted decisively in 2014 to remain part of the United Kingdom and that should be respected.”

This raises a major problem for Nicola Sturgeon, if she doesn’t deliver a second referendum, her position is untenable, and the SNP are losing control the wider indy movement.

But don’t worry, Tommy Sheridan isn’t the heir apparent to step in, he is still trying to find a narrative which rebuilds his career which is toast, but hey, what else has he to do.

At a conference in London, organised by the Policy Exchange think-tank, Ruth Davidson was asked about a second vote, she replied:

“My advice to the PM is: if the question’s the same, the answer should be the same. No.”

It seems the no word is very popular.

Mr Gove also commented on indyref2, saying the SNP would find “any excuse” to seek another independence poll; if it was not because of Brexit, it would be something else.

Everyone knows the SNP all too well it seems, they are crude petty and not very bright politicians.

Alistair Darling, the former Labour Chancellor also told the conference:

“I do not believe there will be another Scottish referendum in the foreseeable future; possibly not in my lifetime”.

He added:

“I’ll tell you why not…the public don’t want it. Most of the British public, never mind the Scottish public, are heartily sick of referendums. They divide, they turn people against each other; the scars are deep; they’re still there in Scotland and people don’t want to go through that again.”

Hmmm…… not sure if I can agree with his timeframe there, politics is a tricky business; the benchmark for a second indyref appears to be beyond the SNP at the present time. 2021, the Holyrood election is probably the most important election since Holyrood opened its doors in 1999.

If the SNP can be kicked out and a new administration formed the problem is in the long grass, an SNP minority doesn’t get a new Bill through if the Greens do badly.

The question is who is in the bets possible position to topple the SNP; this comes down to either the Labour Party or the Conservatives. The current position of the Labour Party in third position doesn’t bode well for them, Labour and the SNP both fish in the same voter pool.

Finally, here is an idea to rap your head around, we won’t be having a General Election till 2022, if Nicola Sturgeon comes under intense pressure, she maybe force to collapse her government and attempt to bet on trying to get a majority. This is called ‘betting the farm’, it’s all or nothing, of course that involves major risk as it could leave her in a worse position at Holyrood. Alex Bell, former Alex Salmond recently said that Nicola Sturgeon isn’t a ‘great’ politician’.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/politics/655266/shes-in-a-bad-place-and-it-wont-end-well-courier-columnist-alex-bell-thinks-nicola-sturgeons-leadership-has-reached-its-endgame/

Question is does she have the ability to push ‘all in’ or is the FM salary more important along with the status?

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University