PRESS RELEASE ON BEHALF OF:-
Manifesto For Independence
The Independence Election
On May 6th, 2021, the people of Scotland will vote in a democratic Scottish Parliamentary election that has international recognition. That election will be informed by political party manifestos and by this Manifesto For Independence which will form a key part of the manifestos that the majority of voters vote for.
Historical Background
The Nation of Scotland has a long history which can be traced back to 892AD. The sovereignty of the Scottish people was established by the declaration of Arbroath in 1320AD and again in the Claim of Right in 1689AD. The Claim of Right to self-determination has been reaffirmed many times including on 4th July 2018, when the House of Commons officially endorsed the principles of the Claim of Right, agreeing that the people of Scotland are sovereign and that they have the right to determine the best form of government for Scotland’s needs.
It is therefore beyond doubt that Scotland is a Sovereign Nation and that the people of Scotland are a Sovereign people, and that they and they alone can determine what form of governance they so choose.
The Manifesto For Independence Statement
The Scottish People affirm and assert that the Scottish Parliament is the only parliament that is empowered to represent the sovereign rights of the Scottish People.
Following the election on the 6th of May of a majority of MSPs who have committed to the Manifesto For Independence Statement and/or political parties that have supported the statement then the Scottish Parliament is established as the only parliament that represents the sovereignty rights of the Scottish People.
The Transition Period
1. International recognition
The Scottish Government will immediately seek recognition from other nations and international organisations.
2. EU Continuity Bill
The Scottish Government will immediately re-introduce the EU Continuity Bill and agree a protocol with the EU that Scotland will adopt the EU regulations covering the Scottish Agriculture, Fishing, and Food and Drink manufacturing sectors. This will allow Scottish producers to export into the EU Single Market without the need for customs, tax or tariffs, in effect free movement of goods, thus beginning to reverse the reversing damage done to Scotland’s economy by Brexit.
3. Freedom of Movement
The Scottish Government will reach agreement with the EU to reinstate reciprocal rights of EU and Scottish citizens to freedom of movement and other rights.
4. Higher Education – Erasmus Scheme
The Scottish Government will reach agreement with the EU to reinstate the full benefits of the Erasmus Scheme for Scottish students to study in the EU and offer the same rights for EU students to study in Scotland.
5. EU/Scotland Trade Links
Scottish Trade with the EU requires direct transport links with the EU Single Market. The Scottish Government will support the establishment of direct sea ferry links between Scottish ports and EU markets. (Ireland has successfully established direct ferry routes to the EU following the UK Brexit)
6. State Pensions
The Scottish Government will introduce measures to increase the Scottish State Pension to the level of the EU average pension within a reasonable period of time. (The UK currently has the lowest State Pension in Europe.)
7. Free Movement between Scotland and England
The Scottish Government will support free movement of people across the border between Scotland and England during the Transition Period.
8. Building the Infrastructure of Government
The Scottish Government will build all necessary Scottish state infrastructures, including defence, taxation and welfare, international relations, currency and competent economic management.
9. National Assembly
The Scottish Government will establish a national assembly comprising all the talents from the MSPs and MPs (MPs recalled from the House of Commons) and representatives of all facets of Scottish civic society, business, industry and the law to manage and implement the changes required during transition.
10. Scottish Constitution
The National Assembly will create and adopt a written constitution modelled on current international best practice which the Scottish Government will adopt and put into law which the Scottish Government will adopt and put into law.
Sorry, but I think this is a bit bizarre for a Manifesto for Independence. This is a manifesto forcing actions and decisions that should be taken AFTER independence into the independence act itself. I much prefer Peter Bell’s MfI. Attached.
https://peterabell.scot/2021/02/19/manifesto-for-independence/
First we get indy. THEN we decide where to go with it.
Hi Monica, the manifesto for indy is a workable legal and constitutional plan that sets out a number of steps that the next Scottish Government would need to act and deliver on. Currently little if any preparation work has been performed for an independent Scotland. So it was important to include the 10 obvious steps. Of course there would be many more and policies for every area of governance. The detail would be for the elected government.
The basic steps are both sound and can be delivered by a party that includes those steps in their next manifesto. Glad this is furthering the discussion.
Hi David.
Is there some web link where we can read your expanded thoughts on this important matter?
If so please post it here!
Thanks.
p.s. I did see there is some further explanation from you around 25 minutes into
https://www.pscp.tv/AUOBALBA/1ZkJzeEpBDLGv
The post by Peter Bell seems to have an obvious contradiction. If you have established the sovereignty of the Scottish Parliament then why do you later need to revoke the Act of Union? The first step removes the other. Also if as Peter has stated he believes is taking the power back then that is what the election on the 6th of May should deliver.
I think we are all agreeing on the same core solution but are just describing it in slightly different ways.
AGreed. But what I like about it is the simplicity. Maybe could use some cleaning up. WHat I don’t like about yours, David, is the inclusion of stuff about free movement, the EU, Euramus, etc. While I support these goals, why would they be in a manifesto for independence? These should be in a party manifest AFTER we’re independent. Let’s show steps to get our independence, then let voters decide these things afterwards. Leave it up to the Scottish people. I know, lots of referendums will be needed, but the people should decide, not have them included up front, ‘trapping’ us into these things if we want independence. Keep it simple, IMO.
PS – how in world are we going to get the SNP to put ANY of these manifestos for indy in their manifesto? Serious question….We need them to but I don’t know how that will happen…??
not sure the present SNP leadership will allow any of this to happen. Control everything seems to be their mantra and a National Assembly writing the Constitution? Whatever will the wokerati have to say to that?
This ‘plan’ is flawed, certainly on point ‘2’. See the comment I just added about it to Iain Lawson’s blog:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2021/02/20/manifesto-for-indy/comment-page-1/#comment-8618
It is deluding oneself about the nature of, rules for, and precondition of ‘access’ to the Single Market. Probably best to continue any discussion of that over on Iain’s site.
My major concern about The Manifesto for Independence is that it seems to do away with Indyref2 completely. It is the Scottish people who are sovereign not the Scottish Parliament and winning an independence referendum would be a striking signal to the rest of the world that the Scottish people had spoken.
I also believe that bringing in what seem like policy hurdles like Erasmus and increasing state pensions is putting the cart before the horse. These are issues for after we are independent,
I’m unclear about the meaning of some elements. What does “The Scottish Government will immediately seek recognition from other nations and international organisations” actually mean? Does it mean that we will ask other nations to recognise:
a) The Scottish Government,
b) The Scottish Government as being empowered to speak for the sovereign Scots,
c) the right of the Scottish Government to declare independence or
d) Scottish independence itself?
It is not clear in the wording of the manifesto.
I’m also concerned about the emphasis on EU “negotiations”. What happens if the EU doesn’t accept that the “plebiscite” gives the Scottish Government a valid mandate for independence and refuses even to discuss its relationship with Scotland. And, even if it does accept the plebiscite, what if it fails to agree on Scottish re-entry in the terms laid down in the Manifesto (freedom of movement, Erasmus, trade link conditions etc)?
It’s good that people are thinking about Scotland’s future in these terms but I don’t wish to abandon Indyref2, which I believe is winnable and would represent an internationally-accepted declaration of intent.
I’d like to see a massive SNP victory in May because I believe it is the best possible next step on our journey, and would give a far stronger message than an alliance of those “who have committed to the Manifesto For Independence Statement and/or political parties that have supported the statement”.
We already have an independence majority at Holyrood but it became clear very soon after the 2016 election that this could not deliver a second independence referendum, mainly because elections put political parties into conflict with each other and create division. Today we are seeing the impossibility of unity even between ISP and AFI. Are we seriously suggesting that 4 parties who will be chasing the same pro-independence votes over the next few weeks will, beforehand, come to an agreement to declare Scottish independence should they win a majority of seats between them? Again, it is an illogical strategy.
The way to build unity and draw all the sovereign people of Scotland together is through a single issue, single question, independence referendum and the way to do that is the same as Alex Salmond did in 2011, win an overall SNP majority in Holyrood.
That’s why I’ll be arguing for Both Votes SNP on May 6th.