When I entered front line politics in 2012 as an SNP councillor, I was clear that my guiding ambition was to play a full part in the restoration of independence to Scotland. Over the past 10 years that commitment has only strengthened as the need for independence has grown ever more urgent. From oil and gas, to wind, tidal, wave and hydro Scotland’s vast energy resources keeps the UK powered and Her Majesty’s Treasury pumped full of cash.
Make no mistake Scotland is the broad shoulders of the UK.
Our reward for that vast contribution of energy, food and drink and water? To be fleeced of those resources, charged for transmitting our energy, denied access to associated revenue and berated, ignored and ridiculed in the “mother” of all parliaments. But it’s the social injustice that results from this distortion of governance that is finally beginning to dawn on many as the cost-of-living crisis deepens and more Scots find they are paying through the nose for energy when Scotland produces far more than we could possibly need.
When I rose to my feet on Wednesday 13th July, I had no doubt about the words I was going to say. I had no doubt about who I would be speaking to, and I had no doubt about who I was speaking for. As Kenny made to leave the chamber after his rebuke from the speaker, I began to deliver my assessment of the current impasse on Scotland’s constitutional future.
The moment was chosen for maximum political exposure. The most dishonest and disreputable Prime Minister in UK history was about to begin his swan song and we were determined that Scotland would be heard and our mandate for independence would not be ignored. For my point of order, I addressed Boris Johnson directly “Mr. Speaker, that charlatan has no mandate, no right, and no authority to dismiss the voice of the people of Scotland” I started, going on to say “Someone who no longer commands the support of his own party, has no right to hold our nation hostage. Not him or his unelected successors. Scotland’s Claim of Right must be respected!”
For those who dismiss what we did, make no mistake our action that day amplified the cause of independence far beyond the Common’s chamber. Our intervention in parliament was no mere stunt, it has been reported across Europe and beyond to Mexico, China and many places in between. As a consequence, the following Wednesday the ALBA party leadership held a very successful press conference with the Foreign Press Association such is the interest in democracy denial for Scotland. Gaining interest and recognition of this is a vital component of building international support for Scottish independence
The cost-of-living calamity being endured in Scotland is a direct and wholly unnecessary consequence of Westminster rule. It’s not Scotland that should fear independence, be in no doubt it is Her Majesty’s Treasury who fear the double whammy of losing Scotland’s ‘free money’ revenue and having to pay an independent Scotland a fair rate for our energy surplus, our water, and our exceptional food and drink.
Scotland’s people need not suffer this iniquity, but we need to corral the justified anger into peaceful and persistent public demonstrations and build an unstoppable drive towards independence.
On Wednesday 13th of June Scotland was given a clear ultimatum from the Speaker; “Shut up or get out”. Scotland won’t shut up, so now’s the time to get out.
Are you listening snp???.
I take it this is Neal Hanvey, Roddy? 🙂
I’m very proud of both of our party’s MPs for having taken a stand in the way that they did. It provides a sharp relief to the inaction of the SNP’s feeble forty-five.
The silence from the SNP MPs spoke loudly.
They are, couple of exception, are unfit for purpose.
They resemble the “Scottish” Labour MPs of the 60’s right up until the SNP built its action team that since AS has done sweet FA for independence.
Agree, but please stop referring to the English government as UK/Westminster and to the “mother” of parliaments. Firstly because despite there being a parliament of GREAT BRITAIN within the the treaty there is no Article creating a Government of Great Britain. If there were it would state “to be stiled the Government of Great Britain” . What we have is a binary parliament housing both countries governments as equals not just in terms of the treaty but as sovereign nation states in an international Agreement even if the states went into a dormant status upon the creation of the parliament of GB.
Secondly, because by all accounts the Parliament of GB is a baby. It was created AFTER the formation of both countries parliaments. It is hardly therefore a mother in any respect.
It must be noted that the treaty is between 2 sovereign states who are the only signatories party to it. Wales and Northern Ireland come under England. Thus, it matters not how many MPs ENGLAND has even combining WELSH AND NORTHERN IRISH. As equals they still only have 50%. If you went to a board meeting and they sought to change the nature of the company with 50% of shares they would not be able to. They would need 51% or would have to terminate it or stay as is. So too with the treaty. England having more MPs, votes and population is completely irrelevant. Scotland’s representatives need to remind England whom the parties to the treaty are and to put England’s gov and establishment in their place.
For too long Scottish reps have kowtowed to English parliamentary CONVENTIONS. Conventions that have no place in the Parliament of GB.
And why the fudging heck are Scotland’s gov reps still sitting at the back of the chamber? Scotland and England are equals. Stop sitting at the back like Scotland is insignificant. If you must be there then you should be at the table directly opposite your treaty partner as their equal not a non entity or opposition.
@Gayle
Mare strength tae ye!
Wish there was a “like”…or even “love” button I could press here, Gayle…! Some of us have been stressing very similar sentiments for years, and despair as to why our elected Scottish Government have not been vocal…or better…on exactly these points. If someone can give me credible reasons I’ll be very grateful…
One word – BRILLIANT!
Thank goodness for you. We need independence badly before we are all destitute. Never mind peaceful demonstration .we need action like the hated poll tax. Udi for me
Well said,
The pillage of Scotland’s resources cannot be allowed to carry on. It’s not a complicated message to get across. Let’s turn up the heat on the broken feudal mess holding us hostage.
‘Shut up – or get out..’ Scotland WON’T ‘shut up’ ( two chances – none & SFA… ) so now it’s time to ‘get out’; I’ll have some of that – in fact, truth be known, I’LL HAVE A LOT OF THAT, BARRELS WORTH OF IT..
Bring it on..
There are few politicians I now respect, listen to & believe. Neale is one of the few. I don’t always agree with everything he says but I trust him & believe he wants the best for Scotland. As I trust & believe Kenny McAskill. I trust their instincts & trust their actions were to aid Scotland and the Scottish people. I applaud their actions & wish more Scots had joined them.
It did show by the sniggering & the laughing & the childish behaviour of the SNP that they have swallowed the WM attitude of ‘we’re here to settle in & make our fortunes while we can. Who cares about people dying of hunger or hypothermia. That’s THEIR look-out’. Their refusal (apart from Angus McNeil) to vote NO in the chamber, on the removing of the two men, was not just disheartening, but appalling & indicative of where SNP are now. I no longer respect or trust a single one of them to do what’s needed to help their kith & kin. But the reckoning will come in the voting booth next election.
Meanwhile, next weekend Sovereign Scottish Research Group (SSRG) will get their Conference up & running. Their thoughts on the six methods of leaving the union will be up front & centre so people will get to know their rights & how the Scottish government is duping them & undermining them with the ‘gold standard’ Ref nonsense which, incidentally, none of the other 65 countries to leave the UK, used. People will know & understand we already have a wonderful written Constitution – so creating another is just re-inventing the wheel, Michael Russel. If enough people get to the Conference, get the information to the LACU’s and get it out to the people, they can then make informed decisions on the way forward for Scotland to gain its independence. I’m for calling SALVO & setting up a tribunal to rid ourselves of the party that should be doing all this instead of having a holiday & reading books!
(Everyone deserves a holiday but you don’t take it the day after you’ve called a Ref/plebiscite! PRIORITIES, PEOPLE!! WAKE UP, for goodness sake! Oh and you can keep your ‘behaviour’ charts. I’m far too old to care about getting gold stars & smiley stickers, you bunch of silly bairns!)
Anyway – THANK YOU to Neale & Kenny for firing the starting gun. I believe Scotland is on the move!
There are *A* few politicians I…
There’s no doubt in my mind the Independence movement has been knocked sidewards with the betrayal of the SNP, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised after the success of 2015 and the scare we gave them in 2014 that the British establishment would shift into overdrive to destroy the SNP and I firmly believe that’s what’s happened with Alex Salmond along with others the sacrificial lambs on Nicolas hit list.
We may be down but by no means out, I see encouraging signs of a fightback but we have to get smart and we have to learn from this and the first lesson in my opinion is rule No1 never trust a politician they all too quickly forget they are there to serve the people not the other way around, I know there are exceptions but sadly they are few and far between too few and far between to entirely entrust the Indy movement to let alone our lives and the wellbeing of our children, it has to be taken in our own hands, we need to find a new and radical way of doing politics, I’d go as far as making political parties constitutionally illegal, every one is prone to corruption, greed and manipulation against the interests of the people they’re elected to serve, they are the antithesis of democracy and I can think of no better example than the SNP
The problem as I see it is politicians have a conflict of interest between obeying the party they’re a member of and serving those they’re elected to represent.
Imagine a system where every candidate in an election whether it be national or council level were independent, whose only purpose was to serve the interests of their constituents, no party whip, no party policy, just people elected and paid to serve and speak up for the people they represent, I say this because I’m sick and tired of voting for candidates who don’t give a flying fig what I think and use my vote to promote policies like the GRA & hate crime bill that I’m totally opposed to, I’m a father of 2 daughters and 3 Grand-Daughter how the hell can I in all conscience vote for a candidate who would support these misogynistic policies whether he/she believes in it or not just to comply with party policy, Maybe my thoughts are naive and unworkable just like John Lennons song Imagine, but we can dream can’t we
Agreed. Let’s get out! Let’s thereby leave and bring this here UK to a very fitting end.
Yes, that REAL and authentic starting gun has been fired by ALBA, not the
ScottishSNiPers.WE are the ones to watch. WE are the ones that’ll make iScotland happen. Salvo knows.
Evenin’ awe, I would like to upgrade part of me previous comment (to be more Scottish) as follows:
” Yes, that REAL and authentic starting gun has been fired by ALBA, not the ‘SNyPer-Clypers’ ”
As much as it wood be good for Scotland’s pro-indy parties to work ra-gether… Sturgeon’s nuSNP have already made it clear with their decision to NOT work in partnership with any other real pro-indy parties for the betterment of Scotland.
NO to Sturgeon
YES to Scottish Independence
https://salvo.scot/join-salvo/
BREAKING:
BBC One intro for ‘Our Next Prime Minister’ at 2100hrs.
As the camera zoomed in… did anybuddy else believe that Sunak and Truss were cardboard cut-outs before Sunak smiled?
This incorrectly instigated incident by Herr Hoyle (with Scotland’s two real representatives whom are actively pushing for independence) was an act of folly by him on behalf of westminster/uk/england (and was further defined and demonstrated similar when the collective and non-supportive voice(s) of the nuSNP candidates lay silent and dormant once again.)
Couldn’t it be nice if ‘ShaunyBoy’ would consider making a video of it…
Because of them… we’re all livin’ on the edge ~ click.
When is the campaign for independence starting the SNP are still in hiding, help ma Bob, Nicola says the Torys say No again. The same Torys that have no mandate in Scotland. I didn’t vote SNP for the Tories or their Labour chums to have a veto on my democracy ,or for the SNP to take 7 years to ask the question. I have now written to my MSP and MP serving them notice is time to circumvent this lot ,if they won’t push for independence we will vote for others that will.