My first Prism Show of the New Year. This week my special guest is Chris Hanlon if the SNP. He is a member of the policy Committee and earlier this week he xfloated the idea of Devo Max on the ballot paper. Here is motivation his reasoning and his story behind this National front page exclusive.
Later I am joined by Iain Lawson and Grousebeater to discuss my interview with Chris, Gareth’s new book, Gettr and much more. Start your new year with a blast of up to date news on Scotland and its drive towards independence.
I normally try to listen to both sides and credit to you for giving the platform.
However I do not know any supporter of Independence who would suggest or “float” such an idea.
An extending lead can be yanked the same as a short lead.
No Thank You as Better Together would say.
We ARE all brainwashed people living here in on this archipelago, and the mainstream media’s owned by the WEALTHIEST of people, seeing themselves as ‘the better off… There are NO polite comments here, without ENDLESS foul language, so what can one say?!
Tory/Labour.ness!UK? 🙃
The Boris reminds me of The Thatcher Influences come to mind,
He/She look different, but the Unreal Kingdom’s in their genes;
Houses of Parliament… Palace of Westminster, London, England
Palace of Westminster, unsurprising to have palaces and queens!
© Ewen A. Morrison 🏴
Well Roddy, you Gareth and Iain very quickly sussed it all out that SNP heid office still has no interest in independence/decolonization and the pressing of another devo-max ‘vow’ button this time by the SNP merely confirms the limits of their colonial server ambition. As soon as Chris gushingly mentioned Michael Russell I kind of knew the game was up, as well as the probable architect of this particular devo-max kite. Anybody left in the SNP hoping for independence really do need to have a word with themselves. Scotland’s colonial cultural division of labour will only continue to worsen under the SNP administrators, as will persecution of Scots, much as we see.
Marvellous book Gareth, by the way. Easy to read, and a joy to do so, with many unique insights on Scotland’s continuing colonial wretchedness. Look forward to Iain’s book on ‘banishment of the natives’, and yours too Roddy when it comes. Liberation o the mynd, indeed!
Many thanks for the insight Alf. Honestly I missed it. Had to go to the toilet when Michael Russell’s name was mentioned.
There’s a man I wouldn’t play cards with. I’d be too busy, counting my fingers…..
I thought to be fair to Chris he did a decent job of putting the nuance across in his reasons for discussing the Devo Max article. Not because he necessarily wanted it personally or believed it would work, but because it was an option and people were entitled to understand what all options could mean. And also, in essence, trying to get ahead of unionists trying to frame the same thing for their own advantage – by explaining what Devo Max could and/or should actually look like from a pro-indy point of view, it could reduce the likelihood of being fobbed off with a lesser version of it coming from a pro-union perspective. I found his discussion on that interesting, at least. It put a good amount of additional context into the whole thing that wouldn’t be there without the debate you broadcast here, so well done for that.
I did agree with you more though on the whole notion of campaigning and indyref2 timing. Yes, the point Chris made about the 2014 Yes campaign makes some sense, in that you want to generate excitement and enthusiasm and it’s difficult to do that in the more sterile remote conditions covid can impose (should you let it). But you are right in that yes a Holyrood campaign was possible. We didn’t have *just* an election in isolation, we still had an election campaign. It might not have been as satisfying or as persuasive or as nuanced as a traditional campaign, but we had one.
If one was being cynical one might suggest that the SNP were quite happy with that state of affairs – they weren’t really complaining about not getting to campaign properly there, likely because they had less to lose from that situation. Also, if they are so keen to push this idea of the “new normal” in other areas of life then they have to accept that any “new normal” has wider effects than just the ones they want it to mean.
But we cannot keep using covid as an excuse to stop planning for an independence referendum. There’s no particular reason to think that the situation won’t have stabilised sufficiently to stall yet again “because covid”. Perhaps the campaign might have to be something a bit different, somewhere between the 2014 campaign and the 2021 Holyrood campaign in style, but the SNP’s credibility is not going to survive yet another stall.
Like Alf I definitely view this as a disgustingly disingenuous kite flying operation designed by the treasonous hierarchy to normalise and dilute the independence determination
This continued mantra by the snp drones that WE have to convince the undecided and soft no’s whilst they have sat on their comfortable arses for the last 7 years and done nothing , nada , zilch to educate or inform anyone to change minds really rips ma knittin
I hope the lower hanging fruit that are kite flying shite on behalf of their betters , and there are quite a few of them , are comfortable in their conciences in being complicit with a shower of amoral self serving greed driven parasites in keeping Scottish children , parents and grandparents in poverty in a country unrivaled in resources
Apparently there is a name for people who conspire and operate on behalf of a puppet government installed by an oppressor to destroy and undermine the dreams and aspirations of what should be their fellow citizens
It is inconceivable that ANY newspaper would give ANY credence to any utterance by such a low ranking official in an organisation that is TERRIFIED of deviating from the chosen ones path to righteousness far from expressing an opinion , unless that newspaper had been (instructed or coerced by bribe or threat ) asked to consider publishing these thoughts or believed these thoughts were promoted party policy
I’m sorry Nicola no matter who you get to deliver pish it is still pish
Nailed.
Cracking post, Twathater….
A Smith Commission style travesty would be trotted out again if devo max chimera was put ” on the table ” by UK . If they could muddy the waters sufficiently they would be content to keep the charade running indefinitely. For them that would be success and Scotland would remain their hostage.
Chris is clearly no advocate of devo max , however it may be defined and it is right to expose and kill the deception that that it is before any independence campaign gets underway.
Devo Max the mask slipped SNP being disingenuous yet again, Nicola is happy to get their gold from the colonial masters to keep us in our place, UN environmental job beckoning. Sell the Numpties the Vow mark two, the Britnats keep Trident , they control on our Economy, Foreign policy and privatise the SNHS. Big win for the British establishment, God save the Queen, Lizzy purrs again . The Internal market bill ensures a veto over everything, UK,Ok. If this is not colonialism what is. 300 more years of misery inflicted on the indigenous population. Free oil and gas and electricity for a perpetual Tory Reich. Message to the SNP Shove your Devo Max were the sun dont shine ,we want nothing less than full independence. If Sturgeon cant deliver get a real patriot who will ,your time is running out. There are other independence parties to vote for now.
Really frustrating to have precious air time taken up by an apologist for the Mike Russell project, more so the fact Hanlon had the temerity to state ‘that this was all his own personal opinion’.
Iain’s comment “galloping off in the opposite direction” at the non appearance of Phil Boswell reflects in high definition the current ethos of the SNP when confronted with the task of strategically planning for an Independent Scotland. Gareth as ever in in his analysis cuts to the chase in his expose of the ideal of the middle class acceptance of the status quo versus the acute desire of the working class to go for Independence with nothing to lose from what they never had.
It was disappointing that no one thought fit to comment on Andy Wightman’s dire performance at the Holyrood Inquiry into the events surrounding the attempted stitch up of Alex Salmond by the Scottish Government.
For a man o’ apparent Independent mind he woefully failed to demonstrate any commitment to challenge Sturgeons narrative and deprived Alex Salmond of the opportunity to expand on evidence he was clearly providing for that purpose.
Will look forward to the next Prism but please nae mair SNP stunt men.
I agree with you Robert , I quite honestly have no compassion for Andy Wightman I also have no desire to see anyone unemployed but I feel wightman sold himself out , he sold Scotland and independence out when he capitulated to the sturgeon cabal at the inquiry , he soft pedaled when he knew what the truth was and didn’t expose it to the people , I think Andy was playing the long card , hoping that his silence on sturgeons corruption would endear him to the chosen one and she would find a place for him in the NSNP as a reward for keeping SHTUM
As for his moans about his fellow greens , he was quite willing to ignore the bile and abuse being hurled by green members at women who spoke against GRA , he even apologised publicly to all and sundry for attending a meeting with REAL women talking about GRA
In colonialism, the real problem for a dominant National Party which has chosen to maintain co-operative bourgeoisie rule together with the colonial power is that it “increasingly takes refuge in a hypocrisy which is all the more odious because it is less and less likely to deceive” (Aime Cesaire).
Get the Saltires out, wear the independence t-shirts and caps, put up the independence posters. Sturgeon will hate you for it so that’s as good a reason as any for doing it. Don’t wait for the SNP to do anything positive for the independence movement.
Much better entertainment than what the BBC have to offer.
Forgive me, I didn’t mean to make any demeaning comparison.
You guys are so important to Scotland’s voice.
You guys are so important to Scotland’s voice.
No mistake. Just needed to say it more than once…..
And no, I meant to say it twice !