In any relationship, personal, sporting, commercial, political, trust is the most important factor in the failure or success of that relationship. In your personal life you would not stay long with a partner if there was no trust. In sport we often hear successful managers talking about trusting a particular player or players. We hear players talking about having trust in their managers, training methods, decisions and tactics. The employee that turns up for work every day safe in the knowledge that their bosses can be trusted to keep the enterprise going.
The reverse is also true, the spouse that was trusted that returns home from a night out with lipstick on his collar or their panties in their handbag soon finds out that they no longer have the trust of their spouse.
The football or rugby player that didn’t carry out his task as instructed soon finds himself on the bench or transfer list. The manager that finds despite his best tactical genius he cannot buy a win soon loses the trust of the players. The unique phrase for that being losing the dressing room. Shortly after comes the vote of confidence from the board followed shortly thereafter with the sack.The board no longer trust him.
In politics trust is the most vital component. Trust of the members, the voters, the public is essential to success at the ballot box. The people need to know that they can trust the leadership of any party with their well being. There are lots of factors in play as we put that cross in the box. Most of us when reaching that decision also think which party and leader do I trust the most with the well being for me and my family?
How we all arrive at that outcome varies. When we opt for a particular party, unlike marriage, we do not take a vow swearing to remain faithful till death do us part. Many thousands of people in Scotland have over the century since universal suffrage remained loyal to a single party. Politics can be very tribal for some.
In my decades involved in politics, a frustration for much of that time was when I heard the phrase, ‘I’m a Labour man/woman. None of the other unionist parties managed to evoke that kind of loyalty. Who ever heard someone defining themselves as ‘A Tory or Liberal man?’
The declaration of being a Labour Man/woman was more than just a political bond. It showed that the working class had bought in completely to the crusade of the Labour Movement. They trusted and believed that those the party approved of as candidates or leaders could be trusted with their future well being. They trusted in the policies of the Labour Party that they would be best for them and their family well being too. They trusted that their belief structure would bring about equality, fairness and justice for the working man.
In 1945 it looked as if that trust had paid off, Clement Atlee’s post-war government kept the trust and changed society for the better. A National Health Service, social welfare, social housing nationalisation of power, railways, mining. The greedy bosses could no longer downtrod the workers and poor or so it seemed for a fleeting moment.
Sadly, Labour and socialism were temporary. The fickle British public threw them out at the first opportunity and brought back the Tories. Ever since that 1945 shock to the right in England the fightback has been on to reclaim all that ‘socialists’ stole from those born to rule. Now 75 years after Atlee’s massive societal reforms the Tories and the right have reclaimed all the gains. The NHS in England is virtually privatised again.Prescription medicine is a cost item. Social housing barely exists, the nationalised industries are no more even the rail network is back in spiv hands. Socialise the costs and privatise the profits is once more in play.
With each successive election defeat over the decades those entrusted with the hopes and aspirations of the under privileged decided that moving the Labour Movement to the right was best. It was decided that it was the only way to get power. The worker’s crusade was over it was, exchanged for power and ermine for a few instead. Sure a few lefty sops are occassionally thrown to the masses to get the votes at election time. The old favourite is, still rolled out every election, ‘A Labour Government will Abolish the House of Lords, ‘ a firm favourite with the latter-day comrades. Give Labour just one more chance and the land of milk and honey will happen this time, honest injun we really, really mean it this time!
Eventually the trust eroded so much the people just stopped listening. In Scotland it took longer than it did in English working class communities. Right into this latest century the Scottish voters remained fervently loyal to the Labour Party. Here and in Wales were the citadels of the Labour Party.
They literally would put up monkeys, in red rosettes and they weighed the votes. The Labour Party in Scotland took massive liberties with the Scottish people. They abused the trust over decades and decades. Lifelong SNP/independence people like me were very frustrated that the public could not see through the lies and dishonesty. Then it happened. I cannot point to a single incident or moment, it just happened over time as more and more Scots lost their trust in the words and actions of the Labour movement. After that there was no way back for the Labour Party.
There was another message that was resonating with the people. The SNP had been around since the 1930s. We were seen as a protest vote in Tory areas for Labour voters. There was no talk of gaming the system as people who would normally vote Labour sensed that a vote for the SNP could remove a Tory. It was in Tory seats that the SNP got their first real foothold. The rest as they say is history. The more Labour broke the trust the more their voters moved to the realisation that the union just did not work for Scots. All the promises of jam tomorrow were just that empty promises, the jam never arrived. The McRone Report that Labour hid to allow England to prosper while their constituents lived in hovels on poverty wages. Their children attending crumbling schools. The trickle of departing voters eventually became a flood.
I have been in the SNP from my school days. I have been a member or associated with the party and six party leaders. In all that time from Willie Wolfe, to Gordon Wilson, Alec Salmond, John Swinney back to Alec again and finally to Nicola Sturgeon. I have always trusted the leaders, until now. Just like the Labour men and women I felt I was on a crusade, I still do! The SNP crusade is about nationhood and a fair and just society, democracy, truth, honesty, equality, decency and most importantly loyalty. Loyalty to our nation, to our party, to our cause and to each other.
Throughout the tenure stretch from Willie Wolfe to Alex Salmond the trust and morality of the party and cause was absolute.From June 1969 when Willie, Wolfe became leader till Alec Salmond resigned as leader on Sept 19th 2014 I cannot think of an instance where the party was lied to or deceived by the leader. I cannot think of a time when independence was not the most important issue on the party agenda. I cannot ever remember a National Council, National Assembly, NEC, Party Conference when independence and how to achieve it was not the main discussion point or strategy. In 1978/79 and again in 1997/98 when devolution became a discussion point it was spoken about as something that we could use to our advantage to advance our march to independence.
I would not try to lie to you that at all times everything was sweetness and light. There were divisions and disputes, the 1979 Group, Common Market, NATO. They were though disputes conducted in a civilised manner and with democratic outcomes. We trusted the institutions and officers of the party at all times. We all prioritised the same thing Independence! Everything we said and did was to get us closer to our goal of Scotland’s self-determination.
Then this woman (an adult female human being) was given the sacred trust of being the Leader of the party and movement. No previous leader had inherited such favourable conditions. She was GIVEN control of the Scottish majority government at Holyrood. She had a healthy bank balance, large donors, a massive United Yes Movement. Goodwill by the buckets. The media could no longer ignore the SNP as in yesteryear. There was also a new vibrant pro independence media at her disposal to counteract the vile anti-Scottish MSM and Broadcasters.
Shortly after her coronation the SNP swept to a landslide at Westminster 56 out of 59 MPs. The Tories racked with division over Europe, Labour fighting like rats in a sack over Corbyn, the Liberals being themselves.
Never had things looked so promising for the Independence cause. Our trust in the SNP was absolute. Our trust in the Leader verging on deity worship. She was, Alex’s protégé he had selected her, schooled her, shared his wisdom prepared her. We could not fail now, our day of deliverance approached. Then another golden opportunity landed on our laps the Tories, had only gone and lost a referendum on EU membership while Scottish voters overwhelmingly voted remain. Now was surely the time? We even had a mandate from the 2016 election.We knew we could trust our leadership to use that mandate of the people. We waited and we waited. Every day Ian Blackford told the English Parliament, ‘Scotland will not be dragged out of the EU against its will!’ Any day now, we all thought, any day now!
We trusted and we believed and we voted, and we waited. We are still waiting and in the meantime this leader we trusted spent three years trying to convince England to reverse its Brexit vote. She marched in Gay Pride events but never once in a single independence event. She took selfies with Blair’s right-hand man, Campbell. Meanwhile, she was blocking the ex-party leader from even entering the Holyrood Building to hand over a charity cheque.
Then came the biggest lie yet, the 2019 UK General Election. Vote SNP to Stop Brexit and have an Independence referendum in 2020. A mere six weeks after a huge election victory and another mandate came the betrayal. On January 31st 2020 Sturgeon made her capitulation speech. What she and Blackford had promised in December was now off the table. Another mandate was needed in 2021 at Holyrood and then we could have our referendum.
Then came the trial of Alec Salmond a disgrace that will remain a stain on the SNP until those responsible are made to pay for their lies. Worse to come has been the cover up of the subterfuge. The relegating of Independence in favour of Gender Politics. The NEC and Party constitution doctored and gerrymandered to make these gender policies safe from scrutiny or challenge. The healthy bank balance gone, the big donors no more, the ring fenced money mystery. Attacks on any pro independence outlet or person that dares to question motives, policy, lies or inaction.
Bottom line, the trust has been broken. This Party Leader has broken the sacred bond between the grassroots and the ideals of the party. Many of us cannot trust a word or action of this present leadership. The Party and movement have never before been so divided. No other leader has been less trusted than this present one. Hiding behind poll numbers and Section 30 requests will only hold back the inevitable, it won’t prevent it. The redacting and withholding of evidence from the Fabiani Inquiry brings shame on not just Sturgeon and her leadership, it shames the entire party, the movement and the proud history of our cause.
When trust goes, it is very difficult to regain it. The longer the lying over the Alec Salmond case continues the worse matters become.The more the leadership contorts our constitution and NEC to ensure GRA becomes law the harder it will be to regain the trust of the movement on anything ever again. It used to be that Conference decided policies like GRA. Now the party leader alone decides and she won’t even allow the members to debate independence let alone GRA at Annual Conference. Spring Conference cancelled in case the members ask awkward questions, about GRA or regional lists or ring fenced money. Heaven forbid they might even demand an Independence plebiscite. If they cannot meet and speak then the members wishes can just be ignored. The reason is simple, Sturgeon would be defeated democratically on both issues. GRA would be rejected and May would be a plebiscite. Neither outcome appeals to her. Instead she breaks the trust and won’t allow the members, a voice.
History has a habit of repeating itself and just as the Labour Party fell from grace suddenly and dramatically the same fate awaits the SNP if action is not taken soon. The divisions and damage can be repaired. It will not take much. Begin by stopping the Fabiani Farce immediately. In its stead have a judge led inquiry. Broaden the scope of that inquiry to cover all aspects of the alleged conspiracy to falsely imprison an innocent man. Drop the divisive policies of GRA and Hate Crime Bill till post independence. Make independence once again the only priority of the party.
Start telling the truth and stop smearing other independinistas. Declare May a plebiscite election and in a few short weeks we can be negotiating our secession from the union.
Alternatively you can continue on with all the divisive actions that are destroying the party and movement. Independence is a given, only the timing and method of attaining it are in question. The actions of the SNP in the next days will determine if we are going to be independent this year or sometime in the 2050 decade! Time is running out and if action isn’t taken a unionist onslaught like no other is about to ensue. Nobody but the present leadership is responsible. They can avoid it or damage our movement badly. Renew the trust, reject division!
Well done. You’ve said it all. I just hope we have enough time to change direction. I am very disappointed in experienced MSPs who seem to be going along with Nicola Sturgeon. Wouldn’t it be great if a few of them could screw up their courage and speak truth to power? If they don’t, they will never be forgiven. Those who are about to retire don’t have anything to lose by speaking out. Perhaps they are the people we should be targeting to ask for a plebiscite.
Got that bang on that’s for certain —l consider Sturgeon and her cabal totally untrustworthy and unworthy of containing as a leadership of the party .The very site of her on the a Covid show makes me want to shout at the TV now —the great betrayer indeed
Regaining the trust would mean somebody doing the decent thing and standing down. Unfortunately decency seems to be in short supply in the top echelons of the SNP. “You’re all going down with the ship” springs to mind. I’ve kind of resigned myself to not seeing my country independent. Trying to survive the ensuing shitshow of a Brexit UK will have to be my priority now – along with protecting myself from the intrusion of men in frocks in my safe spaces and keeping out of jail for complaining about them ,should the SNP remain as now and still manage to get elected to govern Scotland for another five years. Glad I’m old and on the way out instead of just starting life’s journey – but no doubt that is nature’s way of making us go “calmly into the night” instead of shouting and screaming that we want to stay. Depressed? Moi? Not much! As Eddie Grant sang “Gimme hope Joanna”.
What a moronic portrayal of women , reduced to mere whores who go home with their knickers in their handbags, to trivialise and excuse the admitted behaviour of a lecherous old drunk . If Nicola Sturgeon goes you can kiss independence goodbye.
Wow misrepresentation and twisting of reality the traits of the New SNP. It is people like you and Sturgeon, Somerville, Robertson and his wife that will cost SNP the election this May and delay our independence by decades. Just like Sturgeon you seem to want to attack independence supporters never Unionists.
So true Roddy.
I left the party a week ago , after 30 unbroken years. No one in the party batted an eyelid. Why?, because they don’t care. The care and loyalty you mentioned above, has been replaced by narrow ideology and ruthlessness. Nicola is showing her nasty side. Her outburst at Salmond during the Covid briefing yesterday was childish and guilt ridden.
One comment that stood out: ” Perhaps he (Salmond) should consider his general behaviour as the reason we are having this enquiry” That to me sums up this cheap crass leader. She hasn’t even the class or dignity , to admit the charges were false and accept the legal verdict.
We are in this position, because she and Murrell swapped loyalty for vanity and fear. We are not independent , because of her obsession with gender politics , instead of independence. We will not be independent , if she continues as First Minister.
The games a bogey. People are tired of getting conned.
We can limp forward to May on another Jam tomorrow promise. With the SNP losing seats and the dream being deliberately sabotaged. Or we can get shot of her and as you say , use the election as a plebiscite. Thus guaranteeing every Yes voter , votes SNP on the first vote. Because we will be voting for Scotland , not the SNP.
Then leave the SNP.
The party leader ‘you believe’ is the problem. I – a member also, do not see it that way.
Your interpretation of reality is askew – ask yourself what anyone has to gain by attacking Salmond. Only the unionists want this division and you are drinking and spewing their cool-aid for them.
Trust? I don’t trust the ‘Salmondettes’. I admire Salmond, but I sure as hell trust the current leader more.
I left long ago the only one drinking cool aid is you the only people helping the union are the ones keeping this dishonest woman in situation. There is enogh evidence out there to show her dishonesty. I challenge you to point out a single error in my post anything infactual.
And yet look at the other responses here … from the mouths of wolves.
If you left long ago then why are you so damned ready to throw independence away. The leaders, the parties matter nothing, but your bile is so evident – palpably angry.
“Then came the biggest lie yet, the 2019 UK General Election. Vote SNP to Stop Brexit and have an Independence referendum in 2020.”
^ way to ignore the pandemic.
But is there a point in tackling the bile?
You are either very badly informed or disengenious. Sturgeon’s capitulation speech took place a full 2 months before Covid. I repeat again the only danger to independence timescales is the present corrupt leadership of SNP and fools like you that do not avail yourself of the facts and truth. Which is it ill informed or dishonest? Sturgeon is the obstacle to independence not a conduit to independence.
“is the present corrupt leadership of SNP ”
A unionist statement out of the 77 book of quotes.
“Sturgeon is the obstacle to independence ”
And another.
Listen to yourself – bitter bile.
“Your interpretation of reality is askew” that’s pretty uncompromising language, Bert. Why am I reminded of the language currently being used at the moment by Ms Sturgeon vis-a-vis Alex Salmond?
Bert says he trusts the current leader more. Bert – breaking news you are an uninformed mug. As were we all at one time. Some are just more slow on the uptake. That’s you Bert.
And you should ask yourself why 13 charges were flung at Salmond and a jury believed none of them.
You should ask yourself why the party had to pay damages in the first case which was found to be “tainted with bias”
And you should ask yourself why a government with nothing to hide isn’t showering the enquiry with every bit of paper, every piece of evidence requested. You should ask yourself why the redactions, the “innacurate” responses to questioning and why the crown office is putting its oar in to stop evidence seeing the light of day.
ABSOLUTELY THIS!
Brilliant Roddy! Thank you. I was a Labour member until 2014, but hadn’t voted Labour since 2005. It left me, to the point where I couldn’t see any significant difference between Labour & Tory policies. I joined the SNP after Indyref. The last 2 years have left me speechless & distressed particularly the last 15 months. I couldn’t believe that the members party I had joined, with open debate, valued members & conference determining policy, had become a bad copy of the party I had left. I, like thousands of others, am trapped. I either ditch every principle I have and wheesht, or I don’t vote at all, and possibly trash any chance of independence in my lifetime.
I have never & will never vote Tory – at 72 I have a great deal of experience of Tory governments & their policies – Labour is a nonstarter for a raft of reasons, and no-one else has a realistic chance of power. The party I joined has become closed, contemptuous and vicious. Its purpose has been subsumed, it’s openness trashed, and the leader has a great deal to answer for. The politicians take their steer from the leader. They seem very comfortable trashing the membership & the Indy movement generally, forgetting that those are the very people that vote for them. I don’t know what is going to happen in May, but wouldn’t be surprised if the SNP have a deserved drop in support. I haven’t seen what if any new parties are doing in my area, but I suspect it may well revert to LibDem. Like thousands of others I am angry, frustrated, upset & sad. I still believe that members can make a difference, but we have to have the platforms to make change. We cannot have members decisions overruled via the back door. We need what we were promised – open, transparent, accountable government. That has well and truly disappeared.
We should remember that when a manager loses the dressing room and is forced to leave the club, it is normally the case that his/her assistants an coaching team go with them.
I’m especially disappointed that so many MSPs who are retiring in May have been happy to keep their mouths shut about all this. Surely they have nothing to lose?
And, while your analogy with the Labour Party is correct, there is one difference. It took Labour decades to arrive that this level of contempt for their membership and their voters. The current SNP leadership have arrived there in six years! And the reason Labour continued for so long after the idealism had gone was because it had such deep roots in commuties. The SNP doesn’t enjoy the same benefit, and it could disappear very quickly if members are not able to reclaim control very quickly. My heart breaks for the good people I know who have given years of their lives to the SNP, only to have independence snatched away from them by their own leadership.
It looks like George Robertson was right after all – devolution does kill independence. But who knew its agent would be the SNP leadership themselves?
Jees – Do people like Bert live in the same parallel universe as Sturgeon.
Just so you understand this Bert. We are trying to save independence , not destroy it. Sturgeon has had 6 years and is not one step closer to naming a date. We have had umpteen Independence Bills going through Holyrood , then being stalled delayed or simply disappearing. Do you really believe that the SNP will do it this time?
It’s not a fecking religion. We don’t need to have faith in something that is spiritual. This is about evidence, written down plans and signed agreements. Nothing is happening, absolutely zilch.
Sturgeon has had her chance , we simply don’t believe her anymore. It’s time people like you woke up to reality.
The hiding of the McCrone Report from 1974 – 2005, combined with the squandering of the oil revenue during this time was the point at which to me it became unquestionable that the UK was a dead end for Scotland.
In a similar vein, it was the inaction of the SNP from 2016 – 2019 on dealing with Brexit, that was when I realised that this SNP was also unquestionably a dead end for Scotland.
I don’t expect the UK to ever change. Hopefully the SNP will. Very soon.
Great article – I agree with every word.
Sturgeon must go . And soon. And she must take all the wokeratti with her.
P.S. Where is the ring-fenced money ?
Maybe it is in the same place as the positive case for the Union.
👏 👏 Exactly Roddy. Enough Said.
Nailed it Roddy.
The leadership has tied themselves in knots with reacting AS statements. Particularly those statements which point to a different timeline from NS.
It’s obvious there is something to hide, if not let AS and Geoff Aberdein’s statement stand.
I’m frankly disgusted that Scotland’s international standing is diminished.
NS could (as you suggest) row back on GRA and HCB legislation but she’s too far down the rabbit hole now. She is effectively holding 99% of the population to ransom all to suit less than 1%.
That 1%, who have at this given moment hold exactly the same rights as me and everyone else.
No more SNP for me.
Another great post Rodney. You covered it all. I just keep asking myself why? WHY would she do this? How could she do this? Yet I know she has done it all & probably more, she has not only done her best to destroy the party, but she has destroyed this countries chance of Independence, unless as you say, some within the party come forward with what they know. And put an end to HER EGO, to watch the likes of Christine Graham & jeane Freeman clap hard for her today turned my stomach.. These are women I had utter faith in when it came to getting Independence for this country.. I truly despair these days. I can’t wait to see & hear Alex Tomorrow, & I just hope he takes HER to court for some of the things she said I a Covid update about how a court may not have found him guilty, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t. (words to that effect) Surely she can’t get away with that..
Trust is a funny thing based on little & much. I was talking to my wife about this the other day. Her job requires travel to meet colleagues in other countries, primarily to develop trust between them I that they can do business together. Trust builds when we can look someone in the eye & feel the strength of their hand as we shake it. Or, at least, it did until COVID arrived.
Now my wife has to build trust with foreign colleagues through a computer screen. And, you know what? Nothing much has changed. Real trust arrives once you’ve done business for a while & seen whether your colleague delivers what they promise. First impressions can be highly misleading.
I’ve met both Alex Salmond & Nicola Sturgeon twice. On all four occasions I’d say I liked & therefore trusted NS more than AS. Well, that just goes to show how poor my impressions of a person are compared to looking at the evidence of their actions. I am reminded that con-artists & predatory psychopaths are very good at eliciting trust in their victims & the fact that so many fall victim to such criminals is testament to how willing human beings are to trust.
I don’t yet know exactly who has done what in this hopeless, horrible debacle & I can only speculate as to the reasons why but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I do not trust Nicola Sturgeon one single inch while I am very prepared to allow Alex Salmond considerable benefit of the doubt. And that is entirely down to the actions of both individuals & the people who surround them.