Conference is over. I have that strange mix of feelings which tend to come in the wake of being part of an important event – part sad it’s over; part glad it’s over. Sad because an SNP Conference is an enjoyable and uplifting experience. This is real democracy at work. Especially as much of the last couple of days was taken up with protracted, complex and – let’s face it – dry as dust internal matters.
Which is not to say these matters aren’t important. They most certainly are. The party is currently engaged in a process of internal reorganisation largely aimed at allowing more full and effective participation by all 100,000+ members. Obviously, I can’t go into detail on this. Not only because it is internal party business, but because it would make for the dullest blog in the entire history of blogging. Suffice it to say that, dreadfully dull and confusingly complex as these debates may be, their purpose is worthy and honourable.
There is, I suspect – although to the best of my knowledge this has never been formally studied – a strong correlation between the functional democracy within a political party and that party’s ability to properly serve democracy either in government or opposition. The very fact that the SNP is striving so hard for inclusiveness and engagement within its own structures and processes almost automatically makes it more fit to govern.
The mills of the SNP’s internal reorganisation may grind slowly. But the product will be worth the effort. Of that, I am supremely confident.
Then there’s the social side of things. After the business of the day is done, it’s time to turn to unwind. The evenings spent meeting with friends – old and new – from different parts of the country are as important in their way as anything which goes one at the conference venue.
While I’ve thoroughly enjoyed endless chats with countless folk over beer or a meal, I have to say that the highlight of this weekend’s entertainment was an evening spent in the company of one of Scotland’s brightest talents Alan Bissett. The author, playwright, poet and raconteur put on a specially prepared show in which he performed a selection of his work, including scenes from his plays and readings from his books. And it was wonderful.
Back to the serious business of conference. As well as the discussions on internal reorganisation mentioned above there were the resolutions to be debated – along with all the attendant amendments. This is where the party activists shine as they take to the platform to speak – often with great eloquence and passion – on a range of issues. It is these debates which shape party policy. This is the party talking to the leadership.
Then there’s the set-piece speeches. This is the leadership talking to the party and the public. There were some excellent speeches. There always are. John Swinney spoke with very obvious passion about his aspirations for Scotland’s education system; and just a little pride in the progress which has already been made. Nobody listening could possibly doubt that this is a man who genuinely cares about Scotland’s children and young people. Coming from anyone else, the words “Equal from birth! Equal in life!” might sound like an empty slogan. When John Swinney utters those words there is no mistaking the power of his commitment.
Mike Russell confirmed his role as Scotland’s champion in the battle to save Scotland’s Parliament from the rapacious depredations of ‘One Nation’ British Nationalism. He didn’t quite put it like that. But one gets a distinct sense that he’d like to. His anger at what the UK Government is attempting is every bit as genuine as John Swinney’s commitment to give Scotland a world-class education system. Both make it very clear that they see the Union as both a threat to what we have, and an obstacle to achieving more. Both are quite explicit about their determination to remove that obstacle.
And so to the grand finale. The big one. The Party Leader’s address to Conference. Nicola Sturgeon’s speech. Before commenting on this, it is important to note yet again the fact that the SNP two quite distinct roles. It is both the party of government – the administration, and the political arm of the independence movement. When Nicola Sturgeon speaks, she may do so in her role as First Minister, or as the de facto figurehead of the independence movement. Occasionally, as in her Conference address, she will speak in both roles.
The speech follows a fairly well established format. There are regular components, such as the tribute to the host city and the jokes at the expense of one or more British establishment figures. Generally, however, the speech can be divided into two parts – a listing of the Scottish Government’s achievements and announcement of significant new policy initiatives, and something on the constitutional issue. This reflects the party’s dual role.
In regard to the first, Nicola Sturgeon was superb. It would be surprising if she wasn’t given that she has such strong material to work with. Her administration’s achievements have been little short of miraculous when considered in the context of Westminster austerity and the debilitating constraints of devolution. The announcement too were impressive. The immediate pay rise for NHS Scotland staff being probably the standout example. I would urge you to read the speech in full so as to better appreciate what an excellent job the SNP administration is doing – whatever the media may say to the contrary.
It was when Nicola Sturgeon turned to the matter of independence and a new referendum that things went badly wrong.
Let me make this clear – although my remarks will inevitably be misrepresented regardless of any clarification. Nobody with an ounce of sense anticipated that Nicola Sturgeon would use her conference address to announce the date of a new referendum. That was never going to happen. She is far to astute to squander her options at this stage.
What may of us did hope for was some sense of awareness of the precariousness of Scotland’s situation and the need for urgency in addressing the threat to our Parliament and our democracy. At the very minimum we expected an acknowledgement of the rising power and presence of the Yes movement. We were given neither.
When Nicola Sturgeon said that we should not “focus on the ‘when’ of independence”, that felt like a rebuke to a Yes movement which is increasingly concerned that the the consequences of delaying the referendum are not being recognised or appreciated by the SNP leadership. Those concerns most certainly aren’t being addressed by senior SNP politicians. And those who hoped for better from Nicola Sturgeon must now be feeling extremely disappointed.
Perhaps worse, however, was the disregard – dare I say, disdain – for the Yes movement. In recent weeks there have been massively significant events which have shown how the Yes movement is growing, maturing and becoming more active. The marches in Glasgow and Dumfries, as well as The Gathering in Stirling, are rightly regarded by the wider independence movement as landmark events with great import for the independence cause. People are bound to be perplexed and offended that Nicola Sturgeon chose to ignore them.
It grieves me to say it, but Nicola has made a grave error of judgement. Doubtless, some will say that that she was ill-served by her advisers and speech writer. There is some merit in this argument. I can’t be the only one who cringed at references to “the NHS” rather than ‘NHS Scotland’. But, as Party Leader and First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon is ultimately responsible. The Scottish buck stops with her.
Listening to Nicola Sturgeon’s remarks about the referendum I got a sense of something bordering on complacency. In her failure to give to much as a hat-tip to the Yes movement, for the first time ever I got a disturbingly distinct impression of a political leader detached from the base of that movement.
PS – If you’d like to chat about events at the SNP Conference, I’ll be talking about my impressions and listening to yours at The Bridge Street Social Club on Sunday 10 June from 14:00.
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Peter A Bell 
But she is right. Until we feel there is a real mood for a referendum. Which at present I don’t believe there is. We must focus on persuading those in the no camp to move to the yes side. Then we can go for it
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How do you propose to deal with the consequences of delaying the referendum?
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Absolutely felt the same way as you Peter, The very biased media give us no publicity at all for anything, Our First Minister could have & should have at least given us a lift by mention how BIG the marches & Rallies are today compared with 2014.. There just wasn’t any recognition at all. I have been SNP for 50yrs. But I believe complacency IS becoming a part of my party now. SETTLING is how I describe it.
And I have to be honest, Although I still agree they are the BEST party in Scotland & working for Scotland still.. I want to HEAR & SEE more conviction from them (ESPECIALLY our leaders) that INDEPENDENCE is still their number 1 Priority..
I hear way too many people now. Who came on board after the 2014 disaster, say the same thing. SNP are not talking so much about INDEPENDENCE anymore, & the yessers are losing their own enthusiasm, due to this complacency.
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I was really happy with the fact that they focused on the day job and didn’t talk about the yes movement. I feel it’s not that anyone is getting complacent rather their eye is so firmly on winning independence that they have to tread a very thin line to avoid giving the game away.
Things have never been so critical as they are now. There is no room for crowing about marches or similar (apart from amongst ourselves and we need no pat on the back for doing what we do with a passion) as this could be used in one twisted way or another against the movement. We also don’t want to give our opponents a heads up of how much progress we are making lest they get a chance to try and scupper things before we reach point unstoppable! Playing the cards close to the chest and allowing no quarter for the press and our adversaries to sling mud upon or to hijack all of our efforts has to be the way from now on until the goal is achieved. This is how I see it.
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How do you propose to deal with the consequences of delaying the referendum?
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@Dana
I, like you, hope this is NS keeping to a strategy. That hope is founded on her Independence actions in early 2017 that were thwarted by May calling the 2017 election.
I truely hope it is not as some fear that the SNP is comfortable in just governing and is instead NS creating a clear understanding that YES and the SNP are not the same:
– YES is the public movement…broad and messy – cross party
– SNP is the political arm of independence.
Too closely aligning the 2 can limit the critical growth of YES in this time-limited essential push. I am genuinely curious: do people thing the AUOB marches would be as big if they were offical SNP marches? AUOB–as stated in the very name–deliberately de-couple YES from any one party to open it up as an all inclusive push to dissolve the Union.
In relation to Peter’s question to your post:
…………………………………………………………
I suspect Nicola is aware that Westminster’s Brexit is a ticking time bomb…the reports of brexit machinations are becoming increasingly more erratic and unstable by the day. As such, Nicola Sturgeon may need a UDI in her back pocket. If that is the case, to legitimise a UDI, SNP will need a massive outpouring of very visible and vocal public calling for dissolving the union. She (and the SNP) can not muddy that water…facilitating Westminster and their supportive media casting it as just SNP supporters feeling aggrieved. (They will anyway…but you can not give them footage of quotes linking SNP to AUOB…those would be 24/7 news cycle).
Of course, the SNP conference left many hanging…it was like a romance movie where the couple only get together in the sequel….but our need for YES “action” and the political machinations of a party playing the legal/constitutional game are different.
As you say:
“….There is no room for crowing about
marches or similar (apart from amongst
ourselves and we need no pat on the
back for doing what we do with a passion)…”
We are so used to a system where political parties take the lead and guide action…I fear this model won’t work in the limited time available…particularly as this now includes a risk of Westminster walking away from Europe with no notice. Instead, this is a time for bottom-up activism. It will be up to YES to mobilise, harness every avenue of support, and un-categorically show that YES are the majority. SNP can not play their usual role of being the public’s shield here….YES must now play that shielding role and give cover to the political arm to strike the final constitutional blow.
As to if this is correct, only time will tell…but either way…both options mean the YES movement needs to get its skates on…Scotland’s sovereignty depends on it.
………………………….
P.S. Many YES’s are already working so hard and with urgency for the movement…The skates comment was not intended that they need to work harder. Instead, it is about the urgency of the wider YES supporters. This is no Indyref2….This time it is probably playing for keeps…This time its is probably for Scotland’s sovereignty.
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What is going to happen with your prediction of a referendum in September this year, Pete?
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The point of that ‘predction’ was to inject some sense of urgency into the debate. Evidently, that hasn’t worked.
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Peter
As I understood your “prediction” – it was just working back from the know timeline and risks. Those factors have not changed…it anything, the unstable and dangerous elements are becoming more prominent.
Events in the last week suddenly look like someone has pulled the pin on a grenade and now the Westminster Breixtiers are playing hot potato or ducking for cover. As events now appear to be unfolding and the deadline for any corrective action hurtles towards us…it is becoming increasingly likely that instead of a Scottish referendum, a surprise announcement may require Scotland to resort to a UDI to dissolve the union.
…………………………………………..
P.S.
That “Join-the-dots picture” Westminster has been constructing under everyones noses is becoming clearer. Unfortunately it looks more and more like EU will not blink and Westminster is planning to do a last-minute reveal of the doomsday scenario. Potentially hoping that the sudden announcement will wedge all domestic opposition who are caught unable to activate safety measures.
If the worst Brexit is on the cards…by extension, Westminster must also be planning to never let ‘their cash-cow” Scotland escape.
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Come on Peter… she did give nods to Yes as in saying (which you didn’t say ANYTHING about) was the sentence that we shouldn’t worry about the ‘when’ but she did say we needed to get on with the how!! To talk, to reconnect with people, to talk indy explain etc!! SO sir you are not being fair to say NS didn’t mention itSHE DID and told us to get stuck in!!!
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There was no acknowledgement of the Yes movement. You claim there was, but can cite no actual examples
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As an SNP member for more than 30 years, i liked Nicola’s speech but it didnt fire up my enthusiasm to get out there converting folk! I heard more inspiring speeches at the Gathering in Stirling and think the time for too much caution has come and gone! We need to campaign now, the more we do now the less we need to do once the starting gun is fired.
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I feel much the same way but they are we have to hope they are balancing a delicate balance. Thing is the larger any organisation gets the further from its grass roots it gets. Whether a company or a party, it fills with admin folks, very genuine and well meaning but administrators are never leaders, innovators or visionaries.
This admin has a deflating effect on the enthusiasts. They form what can become impervious layer between the leadership and the grass roots. Their focus is on the process at the expense of the vision. It also, by the way, creates a filter to weed out expertise in potential candidates. When real technical and industrial expertise is favoured over folk who are strong on the admin front is worrying thing when it come to formulating policy and strategy. But SNP still punches well above all the other parties in policy but risk complacency.
But lets not let frustration get in the way of the real mission.
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Ps Nice speaking with you yesterday Peter! Hope you have had some good discussions this afternoon.
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This year … my husband and I, decided to move on a stage further in the quest for Indy, until now, it has been a case of posting and commenting on FB/Twitter … for the first time … we marched! We went too HOOP and joined hands, we marched in Glasgow with the 93,000 and we marched in Dumfries with the 10,000, we also plan on doing the same at Bannockburn, Inverness, Dundee and Edinburgh. I wasn’t at the conference, but had been waiting eagerly for some kind of acknowledgement or encouragement to all of us who were doing our bit for Indy!!! Disappointed at no mention whatsoever … so where does that leave us? Do we just carry on regardless?
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Nicola Sturgeon is wise to keep SNP and all under one banner separate the media would blame each for the others errors what counts are the people marching I too attended and will attend others keep strong and keep your faith we are doing this for the same reason.
Scotland will be independent we are strong and persistent in a nice way.
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Another straw man.
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I agree Peter. For me what happens on Tuesday next week is more important than any Brexit deal.
WM is about to put two fingers up to the Scottish parliament when they push the bill through without consent. Nicola described it as unchartered waters. But what is she going to do about this.
To me it should trigger an emergency withdrawal of Mps and effectively a strike. It should then be ratified with a referendum in September. At the moment I am doubting we will even get our referendum by next March.
I am concerned like many that right now is the ideal opportunity to call a vote but the SNP are missing it. They think a better opportunity lies after Brexit. Crazy idea but what if Brexit turns out to be not as bad as predicted. Will Scotland drift back to the comfort of the union.
This shape of Brexit idea looks like strategy to not frighten the horses. The vote will take place because democracy is at stake not because we don’t like aspects of Brexit. It’s high time the SNP started making decisions based on what Scotland voted for.
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There is no delay in the referendum.
You constantly say there is but it was never ever going to take place before the last meeting of the EU and Westminster which is October 2018 and given that there will be a few weeks given for the agreement reached October 2018 to sink in it is obvious that Westminster will have until 1.1.19 to make any last minute changes.
Only at the close of last minute changes will the Scottish government know what the final Brexit arrangements are going to be.
Nicola Sturgeon will then have discussions with her party and ask the Scottish government to move.
That will be January 2019.
The earliest referendum will therefore be spring 2019.
Having a referendum before that would play into westminsters hands who would undoubtedly introduce last minute changes to the Brexit arrangement that affect Scotland strongly and would possibly be relevant enough to stop NO or undecideds moving to YES.
Nicola Sturgeon is being very astute avoiding another easy “VOW” opportunity for Westminster.
With regard to the YES movement not being hailed by Nicola Sturgeon at the SNP conference I would again say that she is being very astute avoiding a link between SNP and the all under one banner group, she knows that if she did so it would be the perfect opportunity for the British media to blame SNP for everything that happens with all under one banner and blame all under one banner for everything that goes wrong in SNP.
Forget your previous predictions, they were wrong, don’t keep flogging a dead horse it makes you look as if the only thing important to you is that your predictions are correct.
You make many many good points but this early referendum opinion is a poor one.
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You obviously haven’t been following what I’ve been saying. I have never said that the referendum has been delayed. You just made that up. Had you been paying better attention, you’d be aware that what I actually have been saying is that September is the earliest a new referendum can be held. If it is the earliest date then, by definition, anything after that date is later; or postponed; or delayed.
As most of your comments are based on an entirely false premise, I payed them no heed. I note, however, that you’re another fantasist who chooses to present delaying the referendum as a consequence free option. It isn’t!
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Not an SNP member, but what I’m missing here is a recognition that there may be another snap General Election announced within the next 4 months, or a second Brexit referendum: I’m sure you can appreciate that Nicola Sturgeon doesn’t want to get caught out by re-activating the Section 30 letter only for the Westminster Government to go and undermine her once again by announcing another election. I thought her speech was excellent, invigorating, painting a vision for people to argue for and to persuade wavering no-voters. There is no reason to hold back and wait for a referendum: her message was get out there and campaign. Why are you waiting for the signal for a referendum which might not come in that form? If there is another General Election at short notice, that could well be the decisive vote. Maybe an independence question might be asked at the same time as another Brexit referendum. Neither we nor she know what is coming. While she’s trying to keep her powder dry to use it with most effect, she clearly wants us to be gathering the wood and preparing the kindling,
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At some point we have to stop dancing to Westminster’s tune. You say Nicola Sturgeon shouldn’t act in case Theresa May does something. Trouble us, there is never a time when someone else might do something.
It doesn’t seem to occur to you that Nicola Sturgeon could be the one to do the preempting. You just naturally fall into line and assume that the British state has the right to dictate terms.
We will never achieve – and, arguably, don’t deserve – independence with that subservient attitude. We need a fresh mindset.
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Like you Peter, and most of the comments here, I was disappointed by Nicola’s caution. I appreciate she may have a Cunning Plan she needs to keep close to her chest, but all the same …
Here on the one hand we have the Indy movement in all it’s independent manifestations building up momentum and solidarity with those very visible marches and events, whilst on the other hand WM seems to be in chaos without any clear plan or agreement, plain up the creek without a paddle.
So what’s needed at this point is some clear leadership to focus the building energy of the Yes Movement and take advantage of May’s mayhem (and Corbyn’s cop-oot?) And who better to leap into the breach than NS? It’s as if the Movement has brought her a fine steed raring to go, only for her to turn away and refuse to ride it.
We need above all a date to aim for, to bring everything to a sharp focus, the way a lens is used to kindle a fire. Let’s not be either too hasty or too tardy. So here’s my bet : Friday March15th 2019, the Ides of March 🙂
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Marco I thought for a long time that Nicola had a cunning plan. Now I am pretty sure she has let herself get too focussed on this idea of the shape of Brexit.
It’s a strategy of wait and see. But here’s the problem. Time and tide wait for no man. We only have 9 months to get our referendum. She is tied to Westminsters never ending dithering over Brexit.
2 years have passed and are we any clearer? By September we might still be wondering. Fiddling while Rome burns.
I am not asking Nicola to have the referendum next week. I and others just want a date to aim for. So if it’s March 19 then say so. An arrow needs a target or it’s just shooting in the dark.
The troops need to know that the referendum is in the next year. If it’s 2 or 3 years then most will not have the energy to campaign continuously until then. If we never get a definite date then it will feel like an endless dress rehearsal.
Yes Nicola we do need to focus on the when, not just the why. Without the when the why becomes a hypothetical pub conversation.
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There are many twists and turns ahead with TM, WM and Brexit which could drag on for years by the looks of it.
Timing is everything.
At the end of the day Scottish Independence will once again come down to a vote. Do we have enough yet? I think not and am one of those who have been watching, waiting and marching for over 40 years. More than ever now we need to campaign like our lives depended on it as it will be our efforts that will raise the pro Indy percentage. We will bring the finish line closer ourselves in doing so.
The timing is in our own hands. Timing is the key but as we all know, training/campaigning makes winners. Regardless of Brexit dithering or not, when our FM sees our numbers grow to critical mass, through our efforts that will signal her to fire the starting pistol and when she does we will also be at our fittest to be first off the blocks and to win the race. I believe this is what she is asking of us when she says it will be the people of Scotland that will determine when to call another referendum.
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How do you propose to deal with the consequences of delaying the referendum? A question often asked, but never answered.
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I would say all members of the SNP are part and active in the Yes movement, certainly everybody I know is.
A while back many from Yes said Independence doesn’t belong to the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon, said, in the most genuine way, true, go ahead, bring out the campaign.
At the Yes marches there are SNP MPs and MSPs. MPs etc at the Conference all spoke about Independence, as she did.
By the October Conference I would expect the conversation to be explicit on the whole Ind movement.
There is one danger when she speaks, that any reference she would make on the wider Yes movement will be used to tie her to every action taken by any member of the Yes movement, including made up stories. That would be the focus of the Brit establishment mouthpieces.
So for me I respect her position to focus on Government, the constitutional power grab and protecting Scotland’s trading position.
The whole movement is gearing up to take on Westminster and secure Ind.
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“Internal reorganisation largely aimed at allowing more full and effective participation by all 100,000+ members. Obviously, I can’t go into detail on this. Not only because it is internal party business, but because it would make for the dullest blog”
Well, to actually get the more full and effective participation, I’d say the result of any reorganisation can not be a dry and dusty one, as that would be almost certainly be the reason for a low level of participation. Most of the 100,000+ – 25,500 existing before Indy Ref 1, would have joined for YES and Indy. And I doubt few would be interested in anything dry and dusty, a minute part of a party policy or (yawn) party constitution taking a couple of (yawn) years to get enough support at a local branch to (yawn) put forward a resolution to be yawned on in about 10 years time. HELLO, Indy Ref 2 could be March next year, or September this year if a certain blogger were to get his way Peter.
They’re there for Indy as I was until I got bored rigid and didn;t renew, and I’m one of the few new members, the very few, who bothered turning up and trying. One look at the monthly agenda would give anyone outside of any political party, the exact reason why so few (yawn) attended.
It was boring. And nothing to do at all with Independence, the reason for joining.
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This echos my thoughts rather well. I have only ever voted for the SNP in all the elections I have ever voted in (which is all of them since I was 18 years old) but I didn’t join the party until 2014, after the Referendum. I’ve attended two party conferences and have no wish to attend a third because while I am passionately interested in the macro-politics of how states govern themselves I am really not that interested in the micro-politics of any particular party. I’ve been a member of two branches of the party and while the first did attempt to include me (they knew me well after the work we had done together during 2014) the second have not even invited me along to a meeting. The few meetings I did attend put me off the idea of getting more involved because I am simply not interested in running a political party even if I am interested in the results such a party might bring. (And before anyone accuses me of not getting involved in my community, I do, just in non-political ways.)
The SNP strikes me as far better than most at being a genuinely democratic organisation and I strongly admire the work of the Scottish Government. Even if I wasn’t a strong supporter of the SNP I can’t imagine voting for anyone else within the UK context because there simply isn’t any comparable organisation active in politics at any level. Nicola Sturgeon is an extremely capable person who is an absolutely ideal First Minister of Scotland, whether in our current devolved state or if we become independent.
That said, it is increasingly apparent to me that the SNP and NS are not fired up about independence in the way I feel they ought to be. At one point all they had to say was ‘independence for Scotland’ but now it is all about ‘getting a good deal for Scotland’ which sounds admirable until you hear the worrying undertones that a ‘good deal’ might be achieved within the current political status quo. Sure, without the SNP in Holyrood and Westminster I am certain that Scotland wouldn’t have as good a deal as we actually have, so credit is due there, but Scotland’s future is in the hands of the English politicians and that will never change while Westminster reigns supreme.
I said before this conference that I would be seriously considering handing back my SNP membership card if a date for the next Referendum was not announced and while I think that particular line in the sand is not particularly helpful (I simply don’t know enough to determine if announcing a date this weekend would have been a good or bad thing) I feel the lack of overt conversation about the ‘when’ of the next Referendum is extremely worrying. I am considering whether sending my membership card and resignation to Nicola herself might help alert her to the fact that ignoring the independence wishes of the membership is not a good thing.
Overall, I am very disappointed at the moment.
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I think the problem is two-fold. First is that as Rev says, people are pig sick of election after referendum after election, and the constant campaigns, and indeed politics in general They’ve swicthed off, hence why various polls show little movement. It’s “NO” now go away. So she had to “Reset” to take the worst of the attention off.
Second is she has to be the FM for all of Scotland, YES, NO, Remain, Leave – and don’t care. And that could get underlying support and approval, whatever the MSM try to do.
So I see it as an Autumn statement “Yes, we are having Indy Ref 2, and it will be on – short date after, minimum campaign, say 14th March 2019”. Then people will be like “Oh well, if we must, aty least it will soon be all over”.
So, so far I approve of all she’s done, but she is under my intense scrutiny in case of back-sliding 🙂
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As Peter says irrespective of how much or how little Nicola espouses the YES movement or lauds their accomplishments she will be berated and admonished by the brit nats and the msm , so WHY is she concerned at upsetting people who irrespective of her genuine beliefs to make Scotland a better country for it’s inhabitants will not waver in their unionist ideology
Nicola should be proud , open and vociferous about her support for the AUOB YES marches , we are showing openly and with pride what she asked for ( a sign from the people ) , we are not ashamed about our desire to dissolve the treaty of union , but it is looking increasingly as if certain SNP hierarchy are not willing to utilise the total incompetence of the brit Nat parties
The snap GE should have been a wake up call to the SNP , when you are avoiding even mentioning the dreaded independence word ( your reason for being ) it then creates an apathy within the ranks that cumulates in lost votes , hence a lower majority vote
I admire Nicola’s governance and her attempts to make Scotland better , but be under no illusion that does not make us independent and it will not stave off the ravages of brexshit , we need a target to aim at and it needs to be shouted from the rooftops , WE WILL BE INDEPENDENT, SCOTLAND WILL BE TAKING BACK CONTROL FOR SCOTLAND AND SCOTS
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In the Scottish Assembly of 1949/50 over two million signatures were gathered and given to the Labour Party who ignored them, simply because they could, and yet some people still vote for them. If Scotland is ever going to be independent then we need a political party aka the SNP to run the Referendum/UDI whatever way is necessary or we will be ignored again. I don’t care if you dislike Nicola or the SNP, now is the time for Unity for Independence. Nothing else matters.
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Something she said in an interview troubled me. She said that in the months ahead ,and indeed years ahead we will see what Brexit brings.
Like Peter I am concerned that the consequences of a delayed vote will harm our momentum . It will also harm Scotland. Allowing the Brit Nats to vandalize Scotland. Will not leave it in good shape. I reckon if we miss March 19 then we are doomed. They have plans to create one nation!
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