James Kelly seems to have changed his tune about a course of action which he previously denounced as unthinkably irresponsible ‘UDI’. More acute observers, of course, realised a long time ago that if Scotland’s independence is to be restored this will never be by any process deemed ‘legal’ by the UK government. It’s either ‘UDI’ or nothing. Where ‘UDI’ is understood to mean a process which excludes the UK government from any involvement and which must, therefore, be branded ‘illegal’ by a British political elite intent on preserving the Union at any cost.
Calling the referendum at the centre of this process “consultative” is a cop-out. It is an attempt to appease British Nationalists by assuring them that we’re only pretending to exercise our right of self-determination and won’t actually do anything. It’s a binary question of the kind that is perfectly suited to being decided by plebiscite. Assuming a properly framed ballot question and an adequate turnout, the result cannot be other than a clear expression of the will of Scotland’s people. Which, in turn, cannot be other than binding on the government and parliament elected by the people of Scotland and accountable to them.
It didn’t take a survey to know that it was nonsense to assume that ‘UDI’ would alienate large numbers of voters. All it took was some understanding of human nature. To anybody with a modicum of such understanding, bold, assertive action is obviously just the thing to catch the public’s imagination – and the mood of the nation.
The only question remaining is who might take this bold, assertive action that will inevitably be dubbed ‘UDI’ by anti-democratic British Nationalists. And whether it will be done properly. Whether the words “bold” and “assertive” are taken to heart.
The current SNP administration doesn’t look a likely candidate. But we shouldn’t give up on them just yet. To get the job done, we need a particular tool. The SNP is what we have to hand. The parlousness of Scotland’s predicament makes delay seriously inadvisable. So we must use what we have. The Yes movement has to get its act together and force Nicola Sturgeon to do what needs to be done – or to step aside in favour of someone who will. The latter trailing as the second choice some distance behind the former.
Forget the less than half-measure of a “consultative” referendum. Appeasement will always be perceived as weakness and encourage retaliatory action. The Scottish Government must be absolutely resolved and determined. The aim is to break the Union, not caress it.
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Peter A Bell 
I think that the survey, and subsequent analyses, carried out by ScotGoesPop/James Kelly is valuable in that provides the additional proof, if any were needed, that pushing ahead with a referendum is in line with the wishes of the majority of Scottish people.
There is no ambiguity that might be attributed to the interpretation – by the losers in Scotland i.e. the British unionist parties – of a multi-issue election (even if the SNP manifesto made it clear it was No to Boris, No to Leave and the Scottish people’s right to choose the form of government best suited to meet its needs and reflect its ambitions).
This, is explicit evidence in favour of referendum action and, taken together with the other results from the survey, it is probable that the restoration of Scotland’s self-government will be achieved with such a plebiscite.
By having these results published by The National in such a high profile way will help to box the SNP leadership in and, as you say, should “force Nicola to do what needs to be done”.
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This is in all honesty the only direction we can take. If set out clearly and unambiguously by SNP then Britnats can whine til the cows come home but will be overtaken by events.
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“The Yes movement has to get its act together and force Nicola Sturgeon to do what needs to be done – or to step aside in favour of someone who will.” You are right Peter! I’m asking you 2 questions you don’t like to be asked, but it needs to be asked. What exactly needs to be done to force Nicola Sturgeon to do what needs to be done? Who will lead the doing of it?
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Mass campaigning by the Yes movement. Fuck knows!
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I’m from Quebec and support an independent Scotland. I’ve voted in two sovereignty referendums: one in 1980 and the other in 1995. The participation rate in the latter was an unprecedented 93.53 percent of the population. In 1995,Jacques Parizeau was premier of Quebec. He headed the Parti Québécois, a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishing a sovereign state. The PQ has also promoted the possibility of maintaining a loose political and economic sovereignty-association between Quebec and Canada.
The 1995 referendum result was a squeaker: The “No” option carried by 54,288 votes (50.58%). According to the book, The Morning After, written by widely respected Ottawa journalist Chantal Hébert, Parizeau intended to declare a unilateral declaration of independence if the “yes” vote had prevailed in that referendum.
In my opinion, a UDI is Scotland’s only option and should be seriously considered as Westminster will never agree to willingly break up the UK.
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