This time tomorrow all the party apparatchiks will be telling us how their party actually won whatever election they were involved in. I have, to be honest, I have zero interest in any outcomes in England. Unionists are unionists to me whether they be, red, blue or orange rosettes it is of no consequence to me.
In this round of pretendy democracy in the UK I am only focused on two areas, Scotland of course and Northern Ireland. In Scotland the likelihood is that the SNP will emerge with the largest number of councillors of all the parties. By Monday all talk of independence will have stopped until the next election. We will no doubt be informed that Scottish voters have overwhelmingly endorsed GRA Reform and sex education for nursery schools.
This election as with last May’s election Nicola Sturgeon’s strategy was never to advance the cause of independence nor even to advance the cause of her party. She set out on both occasions to destroy another independence party, nothing else. She will however be left disappointed. The Alba Party will not be destroyed, it will show growth from last year. This will give Alba the launchpad that means next time, the English owned media cannot keep ignoring it. This is the claim to victory that Alba people will promote, and they will be right!
The two bald men fighting over a comb, Anas Sarwar and Douglas Ross will also claim victory. Anas is expected to come out ahead in this contest with the pollsters suggesting Labour will come in a distant second to the SNP. That will be enough for British Labour House Jocks to claim they are back as a serious political force in Scotland. They will also suggest that the voters have rejected independence and want sensible Labour British governance.
Douglas Ross will also claim victory suggesting they haven’t lost as heavily as everyone predicted so in effect they actually won the election. He will also tell you that this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Scotland has once again rejected any desire for a divisive independence referendum.
Alex Cole-Hamilton will try to tell you the Liberals are the biggest winners because there share of the vote is up and they have an extra handful of councillors. What he won’t of course, mention is that all that has happened is that the diminishing Unionist votes in Scotland have merely swapped from one English neoliberal party to another English neoliberal party temporarily. Unionism will make no significant gains! Incidentally, he will also tell you that the voters have rejected another divisive independence referendum!
Patrick Harvie will also try to claim victory. However, who really cares what Patrick thinks or says?
The truth is the Apathy Party will be the biggest winners in Scotland, them and the English ruling elite in London. They elite will quietly smile to themselves that the independence movement is not united. They will raise their glasses to Nicola Sturgeon the protector of the union.They will chuckle that the SNP is led by a person who is devoid of any strategic nous. A person so full of vindictiveness and bile that she put her own twisted desires before that of her Party or her country. One day the sheeple will waken up!
This is a comfort the English Imperialists will need because the voters of Northern Ireland are going to give those self-same smug English Imperialists a huge wake up call. Sadly, this is not happening in Scotland but across the sea in the six occupied counties of Ireland.
That is where my main focus will be when the counting of votes begins. I will be glued to BBC Northern Ireland to watch the British Union being dealt another hammer blow by the brave people of Ireland. A hundred years on from the first bloody nose England is about to be given another severe smack,this time a fatal punch. In 1922, after the Irish War of Independence most of Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom to become the independent Irish Free State. Disgracefully under the Anglo-Irish Treaty the six northeastern counties, known as Northern Ireland, remained within the United Kingdom, creating the partition of Ireland. That disgrace is about to be rectified.
Sinn Féin, is headed by two magnificent women. The lovely Michelle O’Neill in Northern Ireland. In overall charge of Sinn Féin in all of Ireland is the wonderful Mary Lou McDonald. These two inspirational women are in the process of seeing their Party’s main raison d’etre fulfilled. They have not allowed themselves to be deflected from their goal. They have stayed true to the cause of Irish reunification. No lobbyists or British bribes of short money has corrupted their leadership or their party! The cause of Irish reunification has always been their main focus everything else has been secondary to that aim.
Sinn Féin from as far back as 1918 have remained true to their principles. They never have taken up their seats in England’s Imperial Parliament nor taken the oath of loyalty to the Germanic monarch. No Sinn Féin MP allows themselves to be seduced by Westminster and the cushy life style and generous allowances. No Sinn Féin MP ever contemplated being Mr Speaker in that den of iniquity. Never once did they sit behind Union flags extolling British Foreign Policy. Never does Michelle or Mary Lou attack, demean or try to harm other Nationalist Parties or voters.
Mary Lou certainly didn’t try to falsely imprison Gerry Adams on trumped up charges using her personal staff and friends. Instead these two wonderful ladies kept focused on the job in hand.For years now they have been preparing their party, other Nationalist Parties and even the Unionists and their voters for the inevitable border poll.
The DUP are going to be hammered. There is even a doubt that they will be the second largest party in Northern Ireland when the votes are counted. However, just as in Scotland and beyond Sir Jeffrey Donaldson leader of the DUP will try to claim a victory of sorts. Like all British Unionists the DUP and their supporters only like democracy when they come out on top. They will most likely refuse to be a junior partner in the government of the Province. They will refuse to help form an administration preferring direct London Rule. Just like London’s man in Scotland, Douglas Ross, Jeffrey Donaldson is London’s man in the Province. He will talk about divisive referendums and now is not the time, recovery from covid . He will also float the lie that the people of Northern Ireland are more interested in scrapping the Protocol rather than reunification. The votes will, of course, say the exact opposite. I would respectfully suggest to Jeff that he quickly finds some Oil in Lough Neagh or a large gold deposit in the Antrim hills, London are about to abandon you!
This delaying tactic by DUP won’t work because the two true Irish patriot ladies, McDonald and O’Neill will not be persuaded or bullied or deflected off course. Even without cooperation of the DUP, the Border poll will happen. I am as certain as I can be that the people of Northern Ireland will decide that reunification is the most sensible path for all Irishmen and women on that beautiful island.
The beginning of the end of the accursed British union is in sight. Most people believed it would be Scotland that would have laid the fatal blow. Sadly, none of us knew that when Alex Salmond resigned as leader we would get a British devolutionist replacing him. Someone without a shred of strategic thinking. A person that is not fit to be in the same room as Mary Lou McDonald or Michelle O’Neill.
So when Nicola tells you next week, you voted for GRA Reform and Boris says no to a Section 30 just think about our Irish cousins.They are about to fulfill the reunification dream while Scotland continues to live in the British nightmare led by a political insomniac!
The difference between the leaderships of the Sinn Fein and SNP is that the former is principled and practical whilst the latter is platitudinous and paranoid.
I think more ‘phoney’ than ‘platitudinous’, but definitely paranoid
great article Roddy – what a contrast
Thank you👍
It grieves me to say this, but I think you’re right in your predictions.
Superb article Roddy. They’re just a bunch of dung beetles fighting over the last of the #$%@!
So how come we got the shortest of the short straws when women politicians were being handed out? Imagine….
“Mary Lou McDonald announces that Sinn Féin are giving up on unification and instead are going to pursue gender identity politics in its place.”
It’s almost impossible to type that as it’s so completely incomprehensible and utterly divorced from any reality you care to imagine. Yet, in Scotland, that’s where we are.
There are good reasons why it will be Sinn Féin that will deliver the hammer blow to the UK. Still, I’m disappointed it wasn’t Scotland demonstrating that level of resolve and leadership.
I think it’s a bit harsh to say that we drew the short straw with regard to female politicians. Imagine what the SNP would have achieved with Joanne Cherry and Philippa Whitford at the helm. Even Kate Forbes doesn’t seem too bad.
The likes of Sturgeon, Somerville, Black and Blackman, are the type of people who should be nowhere near politics, of course. But the same goes for the oleaginous Smyth and Nicholson, and tour guide-cum-MP McDonald. There are dunderheids in every party. The SNP’s choice is to either get rid of them, or come under some decent electoral pressure and lose their seats to better candidates. Or, better still, for them to lose their jobs through independence (what would Smyth do then, now he doesn’t have the EU parliament to return to?).
So Dave can you point out please how Joanna Cherry , Phillipa Whitford or Kate Forbes have furthered the goal of independence , Joanna Cherry is a QC and successfully challenged and won the case of prorogation of WM , WHY has Joanna not even HINTED at doing similar for independence in the UN or European courts or the Vienna Convention of Treaties , WHY has Philippa Whitford an eminent medical professional not publicly opposed the threats and dangers to real Females from the GRA reforms , and TBQH in MY opinion Kate Forbes is nothing but a willing sturgeon puppet who will compromise her integrity and beliefs to conform to sturgeons demands
I consider all 3 to be more interested in their pay packets and pensions than they are in independence to protect Scottish citizens
Both Joanna Cherry and Phillipa Whitford could make far far more money in private practice than they ever can make as an MP. I don’t know about Kate Forbes.
“Mary Lou McDonald announces that Sinn Féin are giving up on unification and instead are going to pursue gender identity politics in its place.”
That can’t happen, simply because Ireland already has “gender self ID”.
https://womensspaceireland.ie/articles/legislation-on-gender-self-id/
An excellent article and one which I hope is accurate as far as the poll in NI is concerned. As an Alba supporter and activist I’d like to add to your assertion, Alba will improve on its performance last May, and we definitely aren’t going anywhere.
I have always thought Ireland would be free before Scotland .Ireland has in the shape of
Macdonald and O’Neil has two Irish Patriots that are committed to the cause of Irish Unity and who importantly campaign for that cause. We in contrast have a Narrsistic double agent hell bent on keeping us in a coercive parasitical Union, destroying the main independence party from the inside. This is British state craft, an illusion of pretend democracy run for the enrichment of the feudal elite who’s security services infuriate political parties that threaten any real change then dismatel them. They take them over with their hand picked stooges. This way they ensure the ruling classes continuity and how the protect their money from the taxman, UK, OK for them. Hence the exploitation of the masses continues unabated as it always has.
I am facing a dilemma I have no Alba candidate or ISP candidate , vote till you boak stops me voting SNP or for any other Unionists Colonial party. I feel the SNP must get a clear message of discontent from the electorate so those that remain in the SNP can find the courage to topple Sturgeon and start to reclaim the party for the cause. We all need someone who will Unite the independence movement going forward, surely the MSPs and MPs must realise this. Sturgeon cannot unite anybody she is vindictive self serving only interested in power and the trappings of wealth that it delivers.
Dissolve the Union.
I am in a similar position with two Libdems, one each SNP, Green, Labour, Conservative and an odd bod who says he ‘supports family and marriage’. After a fair amount of consideration, I could not face voting for any of them, and rated them all equal 7th places.
I am angry to have been put in the position that there was no-one standing in my area that I feel stands up for Scotland, and only the second time in over 60 years of voting in whatever election was available that I have spoiled the ballot paper. The previous time was for the Constistuency vote for Holyrood last year.
On the ball re Scotland , Roddy.
Re the north of Ireland, let’s hope that Ms O’Neill and Ms McDonald hold fast.
There are some similarities with Scotland. Support for leaving the British ‘union’ hovers around fifty per cent. A disparity between this and the increased support for Sinn Fein. Will the two ladies claim that support for Sinn Fein didn’t actually mean support for leaving the British State? (Aka Sturgeon viz a viz votes for the SNP.). Or will they use Sinn Féin’s success as a springboard for actively leading the north of Ireland to de-colonisation? Campaigning to convince the fearful that it is the British State which should be feared? Let’s hope the latter.
It’s a stoater!!! If only our woman wasn’t so completely useless.
I agree with most of what you say, however my understanding is that Sinn Fein are fully on board with self id/GRA reform which is a great pity. But not as great as the pity it will be for Scotland if Ireland reunifies before we are independent. That exodus of the orange vote needs to live somewhere and Scotland will get more than a fair share of them. Add that to immigration from our southern neighbour and Scotland will never be independent unless the UN declares us as having colony status and therefore puts strict rules on who can vote in any self determination ballot.
As for those feeling they have nobody to vote for – spoil the ballot paper. Record your dislike of GRA reform and/or the lack of progress on indy.
Mary Lou McDonald leads a party wherein bourgeois pretensions, along with personal gain, narcissism and political opportunism, have always been regarded as absolutely unwelcome, if not downright dangerous. (Make your own comparisons.). The Irish may frequently argue-the-toss regarding the virtues, or otherwise, of the Shinners, but few would deny SF’s historical doggedness, social immersion in their communities or general political and personal frugality. And, nary a designer twin-set nor string of pearls to be, anywhere, seen! We Scottish nationalists should be very envious, indeed.
Excellent analysis Roddy.
Your contrast illustrates the importance of self-determination nationalism as being an essential aspect reflecting the solidarity of any oppressed ethnic group in their quest for national and cultural liberation. The present SNP elite deny they are nationalists which effectively means they no longer prioritise Scottish independence, and that is precisely what we see in their subaltern cooperation with Westminster in all respects.
In addition, a key factor leading to the now probable Irish reunification is long-term demographic change and with that changes in voting preference which as we know is largely based on the national identities of the population. Unlike Scotland (and Wales), Northern Ireland is not subject to significant inflows of population from England. Westminster as ‘manager’ of the UK population has done nothing to alter that prevailing demographic trend in Northern Ireland, which suggests you are right that the UK is not that fussed about ‘losing’ the province, whereas Scotland (and Wales) is a different matter.
Scotland needs a party which puts independence above everything else, including European wars, pandemics and britnat media opinion.
Scotland needs a James Connolly who will stay in Scotland to fight for Scotland’s independence.
God bless the Irish.
Cheer up folks! ALBA IS RISING – independence must be round the corner. Only wish I could understand why some intelligent people still trust Sturgeon. I just don’t get it!
Nail & head, Roddy! I agree with every word!
Without being disrespectful to NI I would say that the reason english parliamentarians like JRM bozo and his entourage are not as rabidly against indy for NI is due to the fact that NI unlike Scotland is subsidised which causes outrage in tory WM , that aligned with the fact that NI resources are incomparable with Scotland’s which are more valuable and easier accessible especially with sturgeon in charge , also the uneasiness that WM are always feeling that violence could be triggered by any wrong move on WM part
Yep, agree. Scotland is of far greater strategic and economic importance to England. Energy security is going to be absolutely vital in the coming decades. England lacks that and Scotland has it in spades – thus Scotland belongs to England and they will fight very dirty to keep us. I guess one has huge won goal may be the subsidy myth. As things get harder and harder the English population may simply wish to secede..
The current party calling itself Sinn Féin has no connection to the 1918 party which called itself Sinn Féin.
https://sluggerotoole.com/2020/11/28/sinn-feins-historical-revisionism-has-nowhere-to-hide/
Not sure how you can conclude that Sinn Fein today has no connection with Sinn Fein of a hundred years ago.
I think most folk would consider this statement nonsense JB.
Then those folks have not read, or not understood the contents of that link. The pertinent part being:
“The split of Sinn Féin led it into a period of electoral decline, by 1940 the party had become completely irrelevant. In 1948, Sinn Féin lost a court case in which they claimed ownership to funds deposited with the High Court in 1924 which belonged to the Sinn Féin party before its split. The Sinn Féin funds case as it became known decided against Sinn Fein on the basis that the pre-1923 party was a separate party from the one that existed in the 1940’s. It was no longer even up for debate that the Sinn Féin that existed after 1923 is not remotely the same nor recognised by the courts as the same party that existed pre-1923.”
It then follows with more details.
If one looks, they can find this reported and stated in various other places, e.g.
https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/sinn-feins-bogus-100-year-history-26403991.html
So if the party reformed in 1923 could not claim to be the party which dissolved in 1922, then a (different) organisation formed during the troubles could hardly claim to be the same grouping when it eventually adopted the original party’s name.
As the original link I provided stated, “In truth, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have far more claim to have been descended from the 1918 Sinn Fein than that of the Sinn Fein we see today”.
Like many political grouping, the current Sinn Fein likes to spin its own mythology about its history, that doesn’t mean one should fall for it.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have more claim to being descended from the English Tory Party than anything to do with SF. FF &FG are Irish Tories. Bottom line this SF is going to bring the 6 occupied counties back from English hands and unite the entire Ireland
Agreed that Ireland will eventually be united, the only question is when.
I read something suggesting SF may wish to try and have a border poll within 5 years. So if they can get other indications (say opinion polls) to the point that there is a reasonable majority in favour, then the Secretary of state for Ireland should schedule the poll in NI.
The real worry however being that if there was say a 52:48 choice in favour, and such was enacted, the unionists in NI may kick off again; leading to Troubles 2.0 – this time within the (newly unified) Irish state.
Violence is a worry,not to lessen it however this time the Protestant Paramilitaries will not have the backing of the British Army,state,spooks or media. They would not be able to sustain any violence for any length of time. Also unlike IRA during the troubles UDF etc have no global,allies.
Well that didn’t go as well as expected https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/alex-salmond-vows-alba-undaunted-despite-defeat-for-every-candidate/ar-AAWZsOm?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=9c879d11f33344c38fbfdc824e0a6b09
I apologise to all the Anglophones who are disturbed by my grammar and spelling. However I am the Truthteller. The fight for freedom will now take longer than I thought. Alba is still in its infancy a new party , however within it the embers of resistance are burning , they will ignite. We will not go away we are here to stay.
Fuasgail an aonadh, Desolve the Union.
With the votes now cast across NI and first results being announced it does seem that Sinn Fein are set to become the biggest party.
And the response from the Democratic Unionist Party. Well that’s that they are refusing to give a commitment that they would nominate a deputy first minister if it was in second place. They have also indicated that they will not return to an executive without the removal of Irish Sea border check.
Tells you all about the mind set of the Unionist who will if the democratic vote goes against them, make every attempt to smash democracy. But you know what, these Thugs time is up. Change is coming and no amount of thuggery is going to stop that change.
Let us pray, and I use this word judiciously, that these unionist bastards don’t emigrate over here to Scotland.
The outrage of the colonisation of Ireland and then the splitting of the country one hundred years ago to create an apartheid statelet is coming to an end.
Recognising that Sinn Fein are set to become the biggest party, and that a Consent ( to the continuation of the Brexit Protocol ) has to be given by December 2024 by a simple majority of Assembly Members the attaching link provides an interesting read.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/northern-ireland-protocol-consent-mechanism
And of course with a border poll potentially looming, not difficult to see connections and why the DUP want the Protocol scrapped now, or the assembly collapsed.
With the news coming in that SF are the biggest party in the NI elections reports are that the DUP are now singing ……. ” and the cry is it’s all over……” ( with the assistance of BoJo and the Brexit Band)
Lots of bends in the road yet, but this win tonight is hugely symbolic. This is the wind of change!
Good luck to them.