Sunday at Noon this weeks guests include Suzanne Blackley and Delia Henry. These two magnificent ladies discuss with me the upcoming Alba Party Conference and the packed agenda. Routes to independence obviously get top billing at the gathering. Monarchy, EFTA, Poverty and particularly child poverty, Women’s Equality, Local Government funding. A wonderful enlightening exchange of views.
Later there is a discussion on the weekly happenings in Scottish politics. The SNP-Green Alliance, a force for independence or a force for Stonewall? The horsebox and the campaign to restore Scotland’s sovereignty. This and so much more. Through A Scottish Prism, Noon onwards today, don’t miss it. Set the timer now and subscribe.
Great interviews with two of the Alba candidates. Look forward to further such discussions. The follow up discussion with Iain Lawson and the equally eminently sensible, sane and intelligent Heather McLean, was also praiseworthy.
We have to get our message through that the SNP is a road block to independence and are doing everything possible to prevent a referendum happening or if there is one, to ensure that the independence cause loses.
Examples of the latter – lack of pro indy policy preparation, failure to rebut GERS, even failure to publish 2020 census data showing the continuing in-migration of 50,000 per year to Scotland from RUK. A hard reality which would ensure that as in 2014, (where 53% of Scots born residents voted YES) an overly lax franchise will ensure that the indigenous population is out-voted.
Scotland has to act as any mature, self determining State does, and look to its own interests and either use normal mechanisms for referenda franchises that protect the right of indigenous populations to achieve self determination…. or use alternative mechanisms, eg the revocation of the international Treaty of Union with England following a pro independence election victory based on specific manifestos to that end and campaigning to inform the electorate of the benefits of independence.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode of TASP today, BB! Informative, interesting re the conference & it was lovely to hear from Candidates for the various positions in ALBA. There was also a nice wee humorous angle too, which I think we really needed.
Thank you everyone involved! That was good, easy listening & I look forward to more of the same next week. Have a good holiday, Iain!
Great episode , looking forwards to my first ever conference too.
The debate on the Monarchy especially and I will be interested to hear if there are any proposals within it around the judiciary.
As was pointed out ( and touching on last weeks theme of the Treaty of Union and a written Constitution ) there’s been no preparation to move to independence done at all.
The Judiciary are The Crown too and there needs to be work done if the Crown ceases to have a function in Scotland.
Most draught Constitution’s I’ve seen are at best woolly on this and at worst ( the SNP 2014 one ) assume the role of the Crown/Judiciary as pertaining to keeping the Queen stays the same.
A Republic with a Constitution needs to frame the Judical checks and balances and much has to be done to be *Republic Ready *.
But there’s also the issue of “keeping” the Queen , till she dies.
Has she to swear an oath to Scotland and our Constitution ?
Will she, espically since her heir won’t succeed ?
Would she lobby for her heir ?
Will she meddle and love bomb to give her Loyal Scots hope of reversing the Yes vote and /or encourage them to resist at all costs the shift to a Republic ?
Being mindful that a Scotland divided in the way N. Ireland was and still is will suit Westminister to a tee.
Westminister can stir the North of Ireland to violence any time it suits and such a whip hand with us would be more than useful to what would be their main competitor to London.
The Police and The Armed Forces are another tool in the Royal tool box of tricks, a head of State is normally the head of them and they currently swear their oath to her.
Would she agree to represent Scotland if we changed the oath over to our Constitution ?
We cannot assume that she will agree to our terms and conditions and she may , and probably will give a few of her own.
So even if Conference decides to offer her the honours of Scotland but not to her heir, a lot of work needs to also be done on how to respond to the likely horse trading they almost certainly will attempt to do too….
Not to mention if she dies before the Treaty officially ends , ( some would say Independence Day ) what’s the contingency for that to be?
It certainly will be a fascinating discussion …