Independence has never been closer. What has been done to Scotland (and I say that very deliberately) since 2016, coming hard on the heels of the independence referendum in 2014, will I believe deliver our independence.
This quote from Alyn Smith nicely encapsulates the self-satisfied, self-deluding, intellect-denying vacuousness that seems to have infected everybody with a nominal leadership role in the SNP.
By what measure has independence “never been closer“? I have previously noted how over the past eight years or so we have had a period of absolute certainty that there would be a referendum; a period when we knew with a very high degree of confidence the timeframe for that referendum; and actual date for a referendum; a well–defined route to independence; an SNP majority in the Scottish Parliament; and 56 out of 59 SNP MPs. Any one of these would count as being closer to independence than we are now because now we have none of these.
Some shallow-minded dolt will almost certainly point out that we also had only around 30% support for independence in the polls while now it is nearer 50%. Doesn’t that count as “closer”? Well, no! It doesn’t! For the glaringly obvious reason that the final 5-10 percentage points may be massively more difficult to achieve than the previous 20 points. Do I really have to explain why this is?
Then there’s that bit about how independence will be delivered by “what has been done to Scotland”. Not what we do! Not what our elected representatives do! Not what our Government does! Not what our Parliament does! Independence arrives courtesy of what is done to Scotland by the British political elite!
Apparently, there’s no need to worry about how we’ll achieve those final 5-10 points. All we have to do is let the British political elite do their worst and eventually, when enough people are suffering sufficient hardship, independence will surely follow.
There are some rather obvious flaws with this cunning plan. Not least the fact that, if we claim independence is our right, then it should be seized as such. Not arrive as a consequence of us meekly accepting the iniquitous impositions of the Union. Restoring our nation’s independence must surely be an active process involving all who regard it as something worth exerting themselves for.
Another problem with Alyn Smith’s cunning plan is that it’s not the way things are that matters so much as the way things are perceived. And who controls the machinery by which public perceptions are manipulated? The British state!
Yet another problem is the well-established if counter-intuitive fact that that people tend to cling to the status quo all the more desperately the worse that status quo becomes. The less people have, the more determined they are to keep what little is theirs.
What the hell kind of attitude is this from SNP politicians who are supposed to be committed to both the restoration of Scotland’s independence AND the furtherance of all Scotland’s interests. It seems we are now being told that we can only have the former if we’re prepared to let the latter slide.
I will not accept this! And before the usual suspects pile on, I will not be silent!
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Peter A Bell 
Alyn was so confident of indy ref 2 that he jettisoned his MEP job, after just being re-elected. That tells me that he has no belief that Scotland will be staying in the EU, or that indy ref 2 is coming before we leave the transition period.
He sees himself in WM for 5 years being “Stronger For Scotland”. Meantime Scotland will begin to crumble under the one nation conservatism. These people are deluded if they think those 5 years will allow Scotland to grow. Those 5 years will be about chaining Scotland to England forever.
We are entering a political crisis, yet they fiddle while Rome burns.
The movement are terrified of what future awaits us , because we have no faith the leaders will do what we elected them to do.
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I’m guessing you won’t be buying his book, title:
“Oh God, another self back-slapping boring book from a politician”.
Alternative title:
“Aren’t I just great?” or “What light?” or “Put those lights out!”
Or “Would the last one out of the EU turn the lights out”.
Alyn Smith did some good stuff at the EU and his column in The National as an MEP was relevant. He abused that column to campaign when he was just a nomination not even a candidate for Stirling, without even having the basic honesty to say that the previous SNP MP was also nominated. Now he is an MP and his opinions are irrelevant.
His only purpose is if he is in the House of Commons as a smokescreen. Otherwise he is a +1 SNP.
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Peter
It’s the Doppler effect
YES is just noticing that sudden change in pitch as it starts moving away from you.
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They really should be going round the country explaining to businessmen, trade unions, fishermen, farmers, teachers, GPs, nurses, universities, research institutes, community councils, professional organisations, the general public – everybody who needs convincing why independence would be better than the status quo and what it would deliver for Scotland. You are absolutely right Peter, they are far too timid, far too passive. Could not agree more. Now is the time to make the case and win over the doubters. The chance will not come again.
I did ask Smith a question once at an SNP conference side meeting and was not impressed by the lack of fire in the man. Can’t quite remember what my question was but it was concerning me. There was me, burning up with angst and passion, and there was him, placid and unconcerned as ever. I wondered whether it was him or me that wasn’t getting it.
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Still bumping your gums about the SNP? What about going on a BritNat attack, for once? Help us to get over the line.
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WOW. Over the years I have only ever seen Peter’s approach to indy as reaching both one hand forward towards the goal and the other hand pulling others along.
Only screaming at the void without getting your side ready to act may be cathartic but is just tilting at windmills.
Perhaps I am mistaken and someone can correct me – However, I had never seen Peter’s desire for Indy as oppositional (against others) but proactively about Scotland’s sovereign right to choose. As an example, “Dissolve the Union” has nothing to do with Westminster it is entirely about Scotland.
Peter, If I have mis-read you all these years please set me straight as to your approach/intent.
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“… I will not be silent!” Please keep on speaking as clearly and loudly as you have been doing!
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I wish I could disagree with you about the apparent complacency of many SNP MPs. The concept of waiting till enough Scots are suffering before going for independence is, in my view, appalling and absolutely at odds with the Scottish Government’s plan to mitigate as many of Westminster’s evil policies as possible. Perhaps Alyn Smith is suggesting that mitigation should stop to maximise the suffering?
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We’re fukced
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