A very happy 2022 to you all. I truly hope all your hopes and wishes come true for you in this brand-new year. Early January is when we all make our New Year Resolutions and talk of our hopes. My greatest hope for 2022 is for the YES Movement to reunite and the campaign for independence to begin again in earnest.
Since 2014 the campaign for self-determination has been inert. There have been more excuses than valid reasons offered up as to why this has been allowed to happen.The first excuse we were given was to let the Smith Commission Act work its way through Westminster. Then came Brexit, the terms of Brexit. Then it was, wait until the actual Brexit to see the effects. Then the pandemic and the economic fallout from both to be resolved before we can apparently move forward.The polls need to be at 60% Yes for 6 months. The reasons for delaying go on and on, we never seem to find a reason to move into campaigning mode.
All these delays were and are in my opinion unnecessary and more likely false flags. They are just excuses and they have resulted in huge damage to our cause and movement.
We may never know why the de facto leader of the Independence Movement, Nicola Sturgeon decided to try to overturn the settled will of the English voters with her participation in the English People’s Vote Movement. She should have been pursuing independence, nothing else!
Our biggest complaint over eons has been our Scottish votes being overturned by English politicians. While England has embraced Tory Governments time after time. Scotland has rejected the Tories at every election since 1955.Not just UK General Elections either. Holyrood, European Union Elections, Local Authority Elections we reject them out of hand every time. We are angry and want Independence for democracy reasons. We want to be governed by the government we Scots elect, not the government a foreign country elects. Our votes are overturned by the English votes and politicians almost every single time.
Therefore, for Nicola Sturgeon to go to England and try to overturn the settled will of the English voters over Brexit was just plain wrong! In that time she and her party should have been working flat out on and exploiting the Brexit outcome. That was the golden opportunity to drive home Scotland’s case for independence. We had 56 out of 59 MPs. There was a Holyrood independence majority. The Scottish population had made their view on the EU clear by voting in favour of remaining by a whopping 62%! The YES Movement was, united and ready. There was a single independence party.
This lack of action on our cause and a refusal to press our case at the 2017 UK General Election cost us dearly when we lost 21 of our Westminster MPs. The blame for that lies squarely with the leadership of the SNP. In the immediate aftermath of this setback heads should have rolled. It was, without doubt the worst run election campaign in the 83-year history of the SNP.
The SNP CEO and all the political advisors should have been sacked on the Friday after the Election. They should have been replaced with forward thinking strategic political experts. Instead, Nicola stuck with her sycophantic failures and added arch Unionists like Murray Foote of Vow fame to her staff. I can only assume she thought this along with courting the anti-Scottish, anti-independence English owned MSM might somehow endear her to the voters in unionist held seats. To compound this folly, she either ordered or passively agreed on a campaign to attack the Pro independence Media and social media Yes support.
That campaign of intimidation and abuse continues to this day. The more Nicola has tried to curry favour with the anti independence Media, establishment and policies the more she has alienated her core support. Her stupidity in trying to get herself some street cred over #Metoo has been disastrous. Her illegal and tainted with bias attack on her predecessor drove a horse and carriage through the entire movement.
Substituting independence as the focus of the party in favour of Gender Issues has only increased the divide among pro independence supporters. The inability to listen to or even debate with the grassroots eventually led to five independence parties where there had been only one for 86 years!
Independence now seems further away than ever. Divided parties or movements never win elections. What is desperately needed now is unity of the YES Movement. Sadly, up until now Nicola has allowed her supporters free rein to attack and demonise other independence parties and their supporters. She has only sought unity with the British Labour Party both during the Holyrood Election and since.
There has been no move by the SNP to engage with the other pro independence parties over a joint campaign for independence. That is, to say the least, extraordinary! Only with unity and a concerted effort, can we hope to rid ourselves of the English yoke of Imperialism!
Since November 2014 the SNP rank and file membership have not been allowed to discuss independence. The SNP Conference for Nicola’s entire tenure have never discussed any aspects of independence. Similarly the SNP NEC has never discussed independence or routes to independence since 2014.
I have had numerous conversations with lots of senior SNP elected officials, office bearers and grassroots activists. Several of those discussions have occurred on the Through A Scottish Prism Webcast. Everyone regrettably agrees there is, as of today nothing in place to hold a referendum at all, let alone in 2023. The questions of Currency, a Central Bank, EU Ascension, Borders, Defence have had no work carried out on them that would allow us to confidently address those concerns with the Scottish people.
The Draft Referendum Bill still sits in Holyrood with several stages to clear before it can be enacted. No request for a Section 30 has been sent to Westminster. No preparations whatsoever have been put in place that make it remotely possible for a referendum to occur in 2023 or beyond. The SNP Branches have heard nothing on preparedness for this referendum. Yet some people so desperate for independence cling to the belief there is a secret plan. I regret to inform them, no such plan exists.
We urgently need to rethink the independence strategy. This site since before the 2019 UK General Election has been pleading with Nicola Sturgeon to unify the movement. Long before ISP, AFI or Alba Parties appeared on the scene we were asking for unity. In May last year, at the Holyrood Election the pro Independence non SNP parties united. Decisions were taken by ISP, AFI and Solidarity to stand aside and unite behind an SNP – Alba campaign for a Super Majority.
The hand of unity was then extended to the SNP and was cruelly and nastily rejected out of hand. The chance to remove Westminster from the Scottish Independence question by holding a, super majority at Holyrood was sacrificed by the SNP for reasons that can only be described as selfish and self-defeating.
While she was rejecting the YES Movement’s overtures for unity, she was wooing The British Labour Party. At the same time she took the opportunity to attack Alex Salmond and drive the wedge of division even further!
In an exclusive interview on the eve of the Holyrood election, she signalled a new co-operative approach as First Minister saying: “I’ll work with Labour on good ideas”
The First Minister admitted having “dark days” over the last 12 months as she dealt with the virus and the fallout with her former mentor Alex Salmond.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/sturgeon-promises-work-labour-rebuild-24047919
All of this has to stop if we are to advance the cause of independence. It can though only be stopped by one person. The person that caused the divisions in the first place. If 2022 is to see any progress on Scottish independence the divisions need healed.It cannot be delayed. The Internal Market Bill is there that will enable Tories to steal our devolution. We need to act immediately.
It is very difficult for any politician of any hue to admit they got anything wrong. They never admit that a policy or initiative was badly thought out or implemented.
Just look at Brexit, not a single Brexiteer politico, is willing to say this was, wrong. Even with the obvious disasters that have been wrought upon the British economy and people there is no admission of error or a morsel of guilt on show. The main supporters of Brexit, Johnson, Gove, Rees-Mogg, the ERG MPs carry on regardless and blame everyone else for the chaos. The EU, Remainers, the Irish anyone but themselves.
It takes a leader of supreme character and ability to admit they have made a tactical error. Just as with Brexit, most of Scotland knows that the Section 30 route to independence is never going to happen. No English Prime Minister is ever again going to agree to let the money tree that is Scotland leave the English empire. England cannot survive without its Scottish subsidy and free electricity. I am sure even Nicola Sturgeon knows that too. The hard bit for her though is to put her hand up and admit to the people that her plan is as dead as the Dodo! Instead, like our British Brexit politicians she will keep going on down the wrong path rather than admit she is wrong.
What is needed is for Nicola to approach the other pro independence parties and set up an Independence Convention. In that body routes and methods of gaining our independence should be openly discussed. When agreement is reached, each party must, of course, gain affirmation from their own parties. With this, unity is guaranteed. Then we can begin a united campaign working towards our ultimate goal.
I have not hidden my preferred option of a plebiscite election at the next and every General Election, Holyrood or Westminster. A majority of seats followed by a Citizens Assembly and withdrawal from the Treaty of Union. It has many merits over a Referendum. Suffice to say the Unionists would not be able to unite and attack us as they are able to at a binary choice referendum. The Unionist Parties will be too busy cutting each others throats to become the next English Prime Minister. They won’t have the time, inclination or resource to fight us in Scotland.
That said, whatever route, the Convention chooses will have my 100% backing and support. Old enmities need set aside, Scottish independence is the most important factor. It will take great courage for Nicola Sturgeon to make this happen. If she succeeds then, she will go down as a great leader. If she carries on as now only strife and continued conflict awaits Scotland. Instead of UK General Election of 2024 being a Plebiscite Election it will be a changing of the guard election. The choice is solely with Nicola Sturgeon. She can start today with a simple message to her supporters, stop attacking fellow independence parties and supporters. Stop attacking your fellow SNP members that have a different opinion on Gender issues. Let us debate and unite. She needs to put independence front and centre on everything the SNP say and do. Anything that does not advance the cause needs shelved until after we have achieved our independence. The leaders and supporters of the other independence parties need to embrace any movement by the SNP towards unity. Without unity we are doomed to decades of being nothing more than an English colony and piggy bank!
This is my greatest wish for 2022.
You are wasting your time on that attempt.
a) She has no interest in Unity. The manipulation of the NEC, internal Party democracy, candidate list selection etc all demonstrate she disregards Unity in her own Party never mind the wider YES movement. The “criminal misuse” of donations by Indy supporters clear evidence of her contempt for others. Independence is the SNP which means it is HER campaign.
b) She is fixated with the TransCult and has a total and absolute disregard for Women’s Rights. When a “Leader” rejects debate as she has done then who will be next to suffer when she picks a new ideology. I will not abandon the concept of The People of Scotland are Sovereign. My ancestors made that clear to Kings and yet I am to surrender that power to her?
When someone keeps showing you who they are I believe them. For me my personal mission is clear, Scotland will never achieve Independence while Sturgeon is in Power. She wants worshipers not fellow Independence campaigners. She wants to dictate not debate. She wants to Rule not Lead.
Her Cult have already posted several messages that the last Scottish election vote was evidence of clear support for GRA. She embraced the Greens to ensure GRA goes through not to deliver Independence.
As an office bearer I remained in the SNP trying to protect my Party. I remained in the Party far too long. I will not make the mistake again of thinking that She will listen.
As a lifelong Indy supporter I would hesitate to vote YES with her in charge. If they can misrepresent my vote last year as support for GRA what would the Cult do with Independence.
Why would we Unite under the person who conducted a campaign to destroy and imprison an innocent man and turned a blind eye to another man going to jail for shining a light on the activities of her attack troops ( all from her inner circle)
We are divided now into those who seek Independence and those who seek a selfie with Sturgeon.
Exactomundo!
If the people vote for independence, there would be a General Election in Scotland. I cannot see the SNP being in power for long in an independent Scotland based on their current trajectory.
Thats a very good point to remember Alin.
Sturgeon will never turn. She’s too much in love with her own mythos, the Sturgeon cult of the holy vaccine. Scotland is lost unless voters switch to ALBA, but in order for that to happen people will have to admit they’ve been fooled, as someone who had to go through that admission, I have to say it’s not easy to face.
Unfortunately I do not think Alba is the answer much as I would like them to be. The SNP has been infiltrated but two can play the same game but do we have the time and the cohesion for a long fightback ro return power to members. It is our disunity that keeps her where she is.
The galling thing is Sturgeon could electrify the whole movement by speaking publicly about the many concerns members and supporters have but the fact she chooses not to do so, is telling. The SNP hierarchy must be aware of the concerns expressed in this blog and others.
As a continuing and long standing SNP member, I am coming to the opinion that a short sharp shock is required in an attempt to reset things quickly without creating terminal damage and I think May’s local elections provide such an opportunity. Staying at home and not voting or voting for Alba will undoubtedly cause the loss of council seats and probably the control of councils too but the outcome might be a catalyst for change and bring some of our elected MP’s and MSP’s to their senses. The danger is the Unionist media frenzy but I am at the stage anything is worth a try to get indpendence back on board as the reason for the SNP to exist, not to run a devolved government
Very good, just don’t talk about settled wills, they don’t exist.
Maybe that made sense to you when writing it. For everybody else it is a meaningless comment would you care to expand your thoughts?
Too much Xmas cheer!
Perhaps you were being ironic when you spoke of England’s settled will to leave the EU, I don’t know , but I’ve been regularly sickened by Yoons talking about 2014 being “Scotland’s settled will”, when at least 10% of people will always have unsettled wills, they are the floating voters .So doubt independence will happen sometime, but not under Sturgeon as you point out.
Keep up the good work.
We know from postcolonial literature that the dominant National Party in which the people have placed their faith ends up: ‘behaving like a gang’; ‘feathering its own nest’; ‘building up its pensions ready for retirement’, and crucially; ‘reaches an accommodation with colonialism’.
We can also see that once on this downward slope into fascism, such a group, now working together with the forces of colonialism, spends most of its time attacking opponents and protecting their own positions (and that of the coloniser) rather than developing the nation or leading the people to independence.
Which explains why a colonised people must create and support new National Parties in order to deliver their independence/decolonisation.
Geoff Anderson, you express my feelings entirely on Sturgeons capacity to bring about change and in any way prosecute the case for Scotland’s Independence.
Sturgeon has proven herself to be a COWARD and a noted liar both in her personal life and in her stewardship of the Government at Holyrood and in my opinion her continuing tenure in office only fuels the increasing influence being brought to bear by the colonisers within the Westminster Government over decisions which should be the sole remit of Holyrood.
I really find it difficult to understand how any person could possibly see fit to trust Sturgeon given her record of betrayal and deceit, she truly is the epitome of narcissism and we would be wise not to ignore the inherent dangers presented by that.
If Sturgeon and her immediate ruling cohort aren’t forced out by her party’s rank-and-file, this particular episode in Scottish history is destined to end in tears. Over to you, ladies and gentlemen.
You make a very good point Josef. The only concern that I have is that, if Nicola Sturgeon is forced out by her party’s rank and file, who will replace her? If Angus Robertson became First Minister it would be the same old.
The only way we will save Scotland is for Alex salmond to prove that they conspired to destroy him. He must politically and morally slay the sturgeon dragon. The only way for that to happen is for him to be upfront and honest and tell it all, like it really is.When the people have all the evidence right before their eyes, then the scales will fall from the people’s eyes.
Even the most brainwashed by her and the cult will finally come to realise what she and they really are, dangerous lying self serving traitorous bastards, who have put into place, a plot to not only destroy a great man, but a great party, great movement, but worst of all our Scotland.
Much of what’s written in ‘It is time For Leadership’ speaks to many, if not most of our Independence-minded friends… The SNP HAD become a meritorious, respectable political party; however, that party is NOT what it was!
Scotland’s political situation’s an unsettling one, yet our electorate’s enthusiastic voters – including much younger voters than ever before, are guiding and promising for our future! I’m a retired man who’s cancelled my long-time membership… Was concerned about seeing changes in what had been a positive and meritorious political movement!
My reasoning cannot fit into this small space, however, Scotland’s future WILL be determined by her electorate and NOT by the Prime Minister of England!
Dictatorship
Our votes are overturned by the English votes
And politicians at almost every single time…
England’s government just like adrift boats;
A government that’s NEVER been at PRIME!
Ewen A. Morrison 🏴
Sturgeon and her corrupt acolytes will not change and must be cleared out, that is clear. Yes we will send a message to the SNP at the May elections, but staying at home is not the way. Use your vote.
A cautionary note, however: the May elections are about local matters, not how our London and Edinburgh representatives are misbehaving. Clean out the unionist parties from local councils and elected parties with Scotland’s interests at heart (and I don’t think that includes the Greens) can start working together in the community. Infrestructure, industry, education and local governance, including our regional police forces being re-established and our courts being regional too. With that done, we can go for “YES” again.
We need a leader who is not afraid to break Westminster’s entrenched anti-Scottish rules and laws in order to achieve our independence. Up to now Sturgeon has willingly obeyed every anti-Scottish rule/law there is; likewise the gutless SNP MPs in Westminster.
She/they must change. They must find the guts to fight for Scotland. It’s up to us to kick them up the backside in order to get them to fight for Scotland.
” The questions of Currency, a Central Bank, EU Ascension, Borders, Defence have had no work carried out on them that would allow us to confidently address those concerns with the Scottish people.”
This to me is the clincher in demonstrating how the SNP are betraying the movement.
The continual delays and excuses may have been believable or even understandable had that work and those conversations continued to be carried out during those periods so that, when the timing was right, most things were ready to put into place for the campaign itself.
The fact that that work has completely stopped to me can only mean the SNP are not even trying any longer. Lessening the priority to “focus on covid” or even limiting it to purely internal SNP political discussion may just about have been acceptable, but there is absolutely no excuse for completely stopping that work both externally in the SG and internally within the SNP.
There will be no unity. ALBA will have to prepare to go fully toe-to-toe with the SNP, or someone else will have to.
The work to address the flaws in the 2014 Independence prospectus HAS been done. Commonweal have done it, ISP have done it, RUSI have looked intelligently at defencr. Alba is addressing it. Tim Rideout is on the currency case (and Covid has surely consigned the ridiculous Growth Commission to the bin)!
The SNP has done nothing, true, and indeed do their utmost to undermine the rest of the movement.
But the work has been done.
Sadly the work has not been done in a meaningful way. The Draft Referendum Bill lies gathering dust at Holyrood. Tim Rideout’s Conference victory has not been implemented by Sturgeon and the Charlotte St Partners Sterlingisation plan remains in place. The addition of Nic MacPherson to her panel of experts confirms this. The franchise and method of gaining independence has not been discussed let alone debated at NEC or Conference for the entire Sturgeon tenure.
“It is very difficult for any politician of any hue to admit they got anything wrong.”
Except that there’s no wrong for Sturgeon to admit to. Everything (for her) is going to plan.
Great Britain is being re-made right in front of us, but with most folk too blind to see. And crucially, the ‘remaking’ north of the border has been subcontracted to Sturgeon and the SNP.
It’s quite cunning really. Let the SNP complain all they like about Westminster and the Tories. It keeps (the blind) indy faithful in check, rather than off to a certain other party led by (still) the most dangerous man (for the Union) in British politics.
Meanwhile the Tories get on with dismantling devolution, and the SNP, and Sturgeon, look on regardless; still collecting their fat salaries and pensions while doing hee-haw (except, of course, sowing division across the indy movement). On a purely selfish, individual level, it makes sense. Why risk all that troughing, when you can fool most people with all the rhetoric they want to hear, so everything stays the same?
Does anyone really believe an SNP led by Salmond (or MacAskill, or Hanvey) would be so accommodating for the Union? The Tories and the other Brit Nationalist parties certainly don’t. But never fear, the SNP will ensure (or try to, with every possibility of success, or so it seems for now) that they don’t get the chance.
Whatever triggered the change in the SNP following that disastrous general election in 2017 doesn’t matter, interesting though it is to consider the various theories. All that matters is the fact of the change, and the disastrous consequences for the indy movement.
So there we have it. Sturgeon and the SNP are running North Britain for the Tories and their unionist pals, and the Union is getting stronger with every passing day.
God help us all.
I will resurrect an idea I proposed prior to the 2021 election on WOS and other blogs including BB , YFS , PABell , Grousebeater and others which received the big deaf ear
We ALL worry about voting or NOT voting for the SNP , and the May 2021 PROVED that even when you hold your nose and vote SNP you still get humped , but if you don’t vote SNP you still get humped by other unionists
Sturgeon is not stupid , she KNOWS desperate indy supporters HAVE to vote for the SNP currently , they have NO choice if they want indy , plus the unionist parties are worse
It is called BLACKMAIL and she has done it successfully since 2015 , LET’S turn the tables on her and her taliban troops
MY proposal then as now is (set up a downloadable pro forma OR set up a website where people , voters can FORCE Sturgeon and the SNP to PAY ATTENTION
Roddy you are all for a people’s convention THIS IS ONE only it is online
The downloadable pro forma which would be counted would say to Sturgeon and the SNP
I Roger Rabbit , residing at 2 Rabbit Burrow , Paisley , Renfrewshire , hereby inform you that I will NOT vote for the SNP in any forthcoming election , Unless and Until Nicola Sturgeon states categorically , unequivocally and publicly that every forthcoming election will be stated as a independence plebiscite election , whereby if independence parties win more than 50% of the votes it is an unequivocal endorsement by the MAJORITY that independence is declared with negotiations following , a further DEMAND is that the GRA and HCB is either shelved or paused until after independence to enable the Scottish People to have a vote via a referendum
The proforma is then downloaded , signed by the individual with a copy sent to Sturgeon and the SNP MP’S and MSP’S
ALTERNATIVELY a website with counters could be arranged for people , voters to sign the exact same pledge inputting their information
Us independence voters have been blackmailed by Sturgeon since 2015 which has enabled her to gain her riches , NOW if she wants to continue gaining her riches she will be FORCED to accede to our demands or she will be unelectable , and the best thing about it is WE ARE TAKING BACK CONTROL
TIME to take off the gloves , sorry for the length
This idea is not so much a Convention more of a petition. Nothing to stop you setting it up and see how it flies.
Roddy I would do it and I would have done it prior to the 2021 May election but unfortunately I do not have the knowledge or technical nous to do so , I presume it would require a host website which would contain the document available for download where the interested party would print it off to send , but you would also like to know how many copies have been downloaded and sent to sturgeon and the MP”S and MSP’S of the constituencies which would require a counter to facilitate that . It would then require the assistance of the blogging , twattering and faceplook community to spread it out to a wider audience
I realise it appears more like a petition than a physical convention but if supported and spread to enough people who posted it to Sturgeon and company it might FORCE them into action , as you are well aware time is running out to defeat this lunatic and you and the other new media can only do so much , and unless the cabal are threatened with loss of power and their finances removed they will carry on mercilessly