That Nicola Sturgeon has totally failed to advance Scotland's cause since becoming leader of the SNP, First Minister and de facto head of the independence campaign is a matter of irrefutable fact. Even the illustrious Sir John Curtice has seen fit to comment on this failure. The fight to restore Scotland's independence flatlined the day … Continue reading Failure explained
Why Scotland's next White Paper must do more to involve other parties And there we have the problem. It is simply assumed that because there was a White Paper for the 2014 referendum we must have one for the next referendum. No stopping to consider whether this is appropriate or advisable in the light of … Continue reading Unforgiveable folly!
It is nearly a week since I wrote anything. As other bloggers will testify, a blog is a ravenous beast. It must be fed regularly or it shrivels and dies. It's all about content. Which is why I haven't written anything. I've had nothing to say that I haven't said many times already. Such repetition … Continue reading To repeat…
Co-organiser of Aberdeen Independence Movement (AIM) Progress to Yes conference Alan Petrie said: "It's going to be very independence-focused looking at things like policy and how we win, and not so much about process." How can we win with this kind of stupidity? First he says the event is going to be "very independence-focused". My … Continue reading The question of the question
What strikes me most about the comments from Linda Fabiani and Alex Neil is the extent to which their thinking about the constitutional issue appears unchanged by the passage of a decade in which everything else has changed dramatically. Their obsession with setting a date and publishing a 'prospectus' directly echoes the obsessions of the … Continue reading A poverty of imagination
On the constitutional issue, there are two statements in the Alba Party local election manifesto. There is the claim that "Only ALBA is prioritising Independence in this Election". I suspect the First Minister would dispute this. Once again, Nicola Sturgeon is making all the by now mind-numbingly familiar noises about independence and a new referendum. … Continue reading Immediately eventually
Nicola Sturgeon is careful these days to avoid explicit mention of the Section 30 process. It would be surprising if she was unaware of the growing opposition to inviting the British state to interfere in Scotland's exercise of Scotland's right of self-determination. But other than not using the actual words the rest of her language … Continue reading You’ve been conned!
Attempting to sum up the SNP/Alba false dilemma within the confines of a single Tweet I recently stated that the SNP is not currently effective in terms of restoring Scotland's independence but is the only party that can be effective within the relevant time frame. Alba Party is not currently effective in terms of restoring … Continue reading Time is tight
It's been a confusing morning so far. First I read a piece by Pete Wishart in which he actually talks sense. Then, as if that wasn't bewildering enough, I encounter Gerry Hassan's column and some perplexingly shallow thinking that all the latte-sipping lefty pomposity in all the cafe districts in all the world can't rescue. … Continue reading Ends and ends
It is hardly uncommon these days to encounter SNP apologists on social media and in the below-the-line comments facility on The National's website. For the most part, these are evidently rather unintelligent individuals capable only of the standard #WheeshtForIndy drivel calling critics of their party liars, traitors, closet Unionists, MI5 agents or whatever. Occasionally, however, … Continue reading Beware of lying SNP apologists
Peter A Bell 