Chris McEleny is on the right track with this. But he goes neither far enough or fast enough. Holding a series of events to discuss alternative strategies would have been a great idea four or five years ago. And it might have been OK to drag things out until October and beyond if it was October 2018 we were talking about.
It’s pointless presenting Boris Johnson with an ultimatum in any case. Why would we give him a second chance to spit on Scotland? And an ultimatum only works if you have some sanction or penalty that you can impose in the event of the ultimatum not being met. What is Chris suggesting? Nicola Sturgeon goes to Johnson and says give us a Section 30 order or we’ll hold some meetings! Cough up, Sunshine, or we’ll form another group to look at ways of exploring new ideas for forums to discuss the best way to go about setting up new groups! And we’re not bluffing!
So long as the Scottish Government is committed to the Section 30 process Boris Johnson has all the power. This is not news. Some of us have been saying it for years. We warned that the Section 30 process is a trap. Nobody listened.
What else might the First Minister threaten Johnson with? Court? That’ll work. For the lawyers! They’ll get a nice payday. Boris Johnson will get a massive transfusion of smug. Nicola Sturgeon will get a faceful of smelly egg. Whatever the Scottish Government complains about all the British government has to do is point at Section 30 of the Scotland Act and remind the court that the First Minister herself called this the ‘gold standard’. They will then ask the Scottish Government’s lawyer to specify in what way they are contravening the terms of the ‘gold standard’ provision. And the lawyers will be lost for an answer. Because Boris Johnson may be an offensive arse but he hasn’t done anything illegal or unlawful. He has abided by the Section 30 rules. The ‘gold standard’!
The Scottish Government needs to do something bold. Something assertive. Something that isn’t in the British state’s book of traps and pitfalls. Chris McEleny is at least thinking outside the stultifying confines of the British box. For that, he is to be congratulated. Although this isn’t really much of a departure for him. But if you’re going to push the constitutional envelope then push it until it rips. No half measures. We don’t have time to take baby steps. We are at least three years late and 10 points behind where we should be. The gates are closing. If we are to get through them, we need to be taking giant strides.
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Peter A Bell 
Winds in yer hair and firecrackers at yer feet. Finding myself pecking trying to catch up today!
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What a miseryguts. You complain about the S.30 process yet don’t want to push the issue either, it seems. Mr Negativity.
Imposing a deadline is a great idea, gets us on the front foot for once, provided only that there is a definite plan to mount a referendum of some kind in consequence, whatever happens. Not just some more talking. A plebiscite election next year, if all else fails.
Oh, and if you think this looming constitutional standoff won’t reach the courts beforehand, you’re dreaming. And it will be a win-win for us whatever the result.
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Reblogged this on New Scotland and commented:
Chris McEleny (SNP) is on the right tracks. BUT……
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The referendum court case , not instigated by the SNP. Will heap pressure on Nicola to do something concrete. Obviously that depends on the outcome, but I fully expect the Scottish judiciary to state that Holyrood has the power to hold a referendum.
If Nicola ignores that verdict and continues with the WM section 30 route. Then at that stage she will need to be forced out of office. Because it will be clear she has no intention of using the mandate given to her.
Watch this space!
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There is a problem with courts on this.
Before a referendum, the question before the court is ‘will a referendum be legal?’, which carries the risk of boxing in your options.
After a referendum, if Indy loses, there is no question to be asked, of course, which means that if Indy wins, the question the court is asked becomes ‘is the outcome of the referendum legal?’
I would rather argue on the second question.
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Prepare the document requesting a S30 order (again). Have the document signed by every SNP political representative, incl MSP’s and LG councillors and all any/other Indy supporting political representatitives. Slap a deadline on it for a reply informing him of the date the referendum will be held with or without his consent. If Boris refuses to respond or if it’s a maybe or a no, then just do it anyway. Declare a national holiday on the day the referendum is due to be held. Close all border routes to Scotland by organising people power to block all routes with cars banners, flags etc.
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Reblogged this on Ramblings of a 50+ Female.
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The immediate problem is not Boris and his racist’s contempt for us. Rather is Sturgeon and her cabal who who should be exercising our thoughts and against whom we should be marching. They are they immediate existential threat facing our nation.
Most folk don’t seem to see it, but as a direct consequence of her and her cadre’s willful ineptitude and mendacity, our country teeters on the edge of annihilation. No, that is not hyperbole.
Johnson’s Final Solution for Scotland includes concerted and coordinated efforts to dissolve the instruments and protocols of Scotland’s status as a country within the UK (AKA the English state), and to recast it in the public’s mind as just other northern region of Britain, heralding the inevitable and inexorable descent of our culture into obscurity and obsolescence.
Our legal system, unique education system, and our Scottish NHS, of necessity dismissed and rejected by the statists as incongruous anachronisms, predicated on the once-held delusion of our uniqueness as a people and a country. Our Parliament by a thousand cuts, defenestrated, and finally, dismantled.
As surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the country we love will be permanently subsumed as a neglected and reviled low-opportunity celtic backwater of a debt-ridden, xenophobic, and increasingly isolated, little england.
But I’m repeating myself.
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Wouldn’t go quite as far as destroying Legal systems, etc.
However, I really wonder if we a re seeing something along these lines with BBC Scotland.
They have stopped giving us First Minister’s Questions, and their new Radio Scotland schedule leaves much to be desired.
In fact, it dilutes the news coverage in Scotland, significant, I’d say.
Stuff like the out door activities forecast has now gone, along with the 6pm news, They now gives us Radio Fivelive news at midnight most of the week.
something appears sinister to me, with these changes.
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