Selling out Scotland and the Scots, SNP MP Ian Blackford writes to Conservative leader Ruth Davidson to ‘demand’ she guarantees that Scottish Conservatives MPs vote against no-deal Brexit, while at the same time the SNP admit that they could give back control of Scotland’s fisheries to Brussels in exchange for EU membership, Derek Mackay says Scottish fisheries were an acceptable trade-off, should a party of charlatans really be offering Ruth Davidson advice?

Dear All

During the Conservative leadership contest, I didn’t really comment, to me the winner was already crowned, Boris Johnson with a landslide. Why was he the only option to win as the field was constantly slimmed down?

Was it his debating skill?

Was it his record as London Mayor?

Or was it simply that he fronted the Brexit Campaign?

The correct answer was that Johnson fronted the Brexit Campaign. Having had a remainer Prime Minister in Theresa May, the Conservative membership knew that to save their party, save the country and save future election prospects, they have to make leave happen. 

The question however is what type of leave we eventually get? I have right from the start favoured no deal Brexit, the reason is the lack of good will from the EU in its attempts to thwart our democracy from outside and within. The UK supplies 20% of the entire EU budget; it is however treated not in the same manner as Germany, but as a ‘cash cow’ to be milked.

And milked hard on all four tits, we are paying to rebuild poorer European countries while here in the UK, we struggle to pay for our health services, council services and upgrade our infrastructure. It is quite legitimate that British people want to have control of their own country and see it rebuilt, but for 40 plus years, we have had our money siphoned off to rebuild Europe.

The ‘thanks’ we got is well written in the annuals of history.

Through-out the leadership contest, it was interesting to see Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson appear to back every candidate until they got eliminated except Boris Johnson. I found it odd, every time she publicly backed someone; I just wondered what she was doing. It isn’t unusual to get a choice wrong, but everyone is an eye opener. When David Mundell was sacked by Boris Johnson as Scottish Sec, he hadn’t done a bad job, his sacking to me was wrong, but it signaled that a new relationship between Westminster and Holyrood was coming down the line.

As the meeting between Johnson and Sturgeon showed, less cordial is the new phase of the relationship. In the seated picture of Johnson and Sturgeon in Bute House; did you notice that there was not any National flag behind the leaders? This is in contrast with other politicians from other countries, who visit Bute House; Sturgeon was sending a message, other than the po-faced look she gave on the steps as Johnson first arrived.  

The SNP is all about fostering division, and to that end, they want Ruth Davidson to give a “cast-iron guarantee” that Scottish Tory MPs will vote to block a no-deal Brexit. Given that Ruth Davidson seeks to be the next First Minister, which will require considerably ehlp for that challenge, she should just ignore the SNP. The fact she is fundamentally opposed to leaving the European Union without a deal isn’t a sustainable position, not for someone seeking to be FM in 2021. The problem with being swept in on a tide of voters has a drawback, yes, swept back out on a tide of voters, as always timing is important. Tagging along in the wake of the SNP will not see any opportunities emerge for Ruth Davidson.

In what must be a laugh; SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford wrote to the Scottish party leader demanding she ensures her MPs vote “as a bloc to protect Scotland’s interests” when the Commons returns after recess.

As the Germans say…. Nein!

Blackford maybe seen by many as a buffoon, but he isn’t someone who has occasional sparks of genius, as his speeches in the House of Commons show, he is a poor man’s Alex Salmond. I doubt even media training can improve him other than delivering waffle in a more BBC way with godly hand gestures and pauses.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to have reassured Ruth Davidson by claiming that it was his aim to “leave the European Union with a deal”.

If they weren’t giving Theresa May a deal, how much ground will the EU shift for Boris?

Johnson has also re-affirmed that he is stepping up preparations to leave on October 31 without one. Is this a bluff, is it strategy, is it wishful thinking, or could it be more to do with the electoral survival for the Conservative Party? 31st October remains the significant date to watch because if we are still in the EU, Boris Johnson has a problem both inside and outside his party. The call for an early general election would be a roar in the UK, and who wants to go into that with a record of failing to deliver.

And then get re-elected?

Blackford said Scottish Tory MPs had voted in the past for a no-deal Brexit on every occasion it had been put to the Commons, which at least means they are on the right track. The SNP at every vote has attempted to scupper Brexit hoping their old policy if they ever win independence is to transfer into the EU without going through the proper membership requirements. That will not happen; basically EU members must be allowed the opportunity to veto. There is no way round the veto, plainly, you have to come out to go in.

Blackford added:

“Ruth Davidson must give a cast-iron guarantee that Scottish Tory MPs will vote to block a no deal Brexit – or it will be clear her words are just empty rhetoric. Tory plans to drag Scotland out of the EU against our will, “come what may”, would be devastating for Scotland – threatening to cause a recession, destroy 100,000 Scottish jobs and cost every person in the country £2,300 a year. Ms Davidson once claimed Scottish Tory MPs would vote as a bloc to protect Scotland’s interests – but nothing could be further from the truth. Every time they have had the chance to prevent a no-deal disaster they have instead voted for it”.

All the SNP can do is scaremongering without facts, have you noticed that the SNP appear to think they have the answer to everyone else’s problem but their track record is that they can’t solve their own!

Blackford continued:

“Given all the flip-flops and U-turns Ruth Davidson has performed on Brexit, people are understandably sceptical that her opposition to a no-deal is just another cynical PR exercise – and she will continue to accept whatever form of Brexit is imposed on Scotland”

The SNP fear Brexit because it makes their case for Scottish independence all the more of a farce than it already is. Nicola Sturgeon is peddling fake independence wanting Scotland signed up to be shackled to the EU.

We would be worse off.

If you take fishing as an example, our fishing industry has suffered under the EU. The scale of the SNP betrayal of Scotland can’t be any better put by the SNP’s Derek Mackay. He told the BBC that an independent Scotland could give back control of its fisheries to Brussels in exchange for EU membership. Mackay admitted that the Scottish fisheries were an acceptable trade-off. Nicola Sturgeon would happily sell out Scottish people and put EU membership above Scotland’s own fishing industry and communities.

Finally, Ruth Davidson would dearly love to be the one to put Nicola Sturgeon out on the street and swan into Bute House, but as with everything, there is a cost. The Scottish Conservatives need to get themselves on track for what is coming post Brexit. The country is pro Brexit and hardening, and it is helpful to be on the right side of history. I saw a PMQs where Boris Johnson tore into Jeremy Corbyn, his face spoke volumes when Johnson attacked his remainer stance. Eventually it may click for Ruth Davidson that a successful Brexit increases her chances for a set of keys for Bute House.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University