The Scottish Government

why can't scotland survive independence? why are scottish people not intelligent enough to run there own country? why are we the sick person of europe? why are we poor in contrast to every other nation our size and stature? why do we qeustion ourselves about our ability to be a proud independent scotland standing shoulder to shoulder with every other nation in the civilised world making our own decisions about our own problems.

Re 580 SMC Edinburgh If this forum is being censored in order to produce a bias


Re 580 SMC Edinburgh. If this forum is being censored in order to produce a biased result then the whole exercise is rendered useless. Could the moderator not acknowledge unprinted comments with a short explanation for their rejection? We are after all not talking to politicians, we are talking to each other and providing we stay within the terms printed, are entitled to be heard. It's called democracy.

Re: 580. SMC - Edinburgh
Friday, May 2, 2008 08:22

“The decline of support for the Union is not occurring, what is occurring is a decline over the whole of the UK in support for the Labour party, which leads to increased support to the SNP, who unfortunately formed the main opposition party in Scotland since the Conservatives committed suicide over the poll tax”

If you are right SMC - & I hope you are, then the time for a Unionist revival could be now, following the Tories success in Wales & Northern England (not to mention London) in this week’s Local Elections.

I would love to see more Unionist postings on this board (sometimes I see to be the only one, & I’m painfully aware many on the board object to me purely ‘cause I’m not Scottish)

If the Tories are to build on this week’s successes then we need all supporters wherever they live in the UK, to speak up & let others know we DO exist.

BTW, I wouldn’t rely too much on the ‘unionist’ credentials of either Labour or the Liberals in Scotland.

I fear many of them only see Scottish votes as a way to success at Westminster. I don’t honestly see them as true defenders of the Union!

580. SMC - Edinburgh

I can speak for myself thank you very much.

You have no authority or right to speak for Scotland. I want Independance.

And for your information according to the latest polls then the majority of Scots want Independance.

And if that was not true then why are the Unionists delaying the chance for Scots to vote?

They know that they will loose and so far I have not heard any arguments or reasons why we should stay in the United Kingdom.

And last but not least.

The Elections last year was not a vote on Independance. You vote for the party that you think that can best respresent you and help you the most.

You could be a Torie but want an Independant Scotland under a Conservative way of Governing like me.

But wait hold on.

You speak for Scotland apparently so I am guessing my words mean nothing.

And you wonder why the Union really has been declining when there are people with an attitude like yours going about.

The only way Scotland can be fairly respresent throughout the world is through Independance.

Seriosly, how many here have been asked on holiday where your from and you say Scotland and they say oh in England?

Its insulting that we are not given a fairer respresentation so the world knows that Britain does not mean England.

#580 SMC - Presumably you would back a referendum on independence then? To test your theory, which goes against recent polling data, that Scots do not want it. If so, welcome to the debate.

The Scottish Claim of Right of 1988/9, signed by Labour, SNP and Liberal MPs alike, acknowledges the right of the people to decide their constitutional future. It’s time that it was invoked and the huge hypocrisy of the unionist side exposed. You cannot simply impose a new settlement on Scotland as Gordon Brown and the unionist commission seek to. The current settlement was decided by referendum, any future one must be similarly legitimised.

#579 Mike King - I suppose my dislike of the term "patriot" is also partly based on the ability to reverse it and brand opponents "unpatriotic", as was fashionable for a time recently in the States. "Patriotism" also maybe implies more state-nationalism (of the status-quo); whereas "nationalism" by itself I think of more as either against the current situation, or neutral.

In any case, the language used is always so important in framing any debate. Its interesting that we hold such differing views on two crucial terms.

Has it occured to anyone that they might get more Unionist comments on this webpage if they actually were displayed by the moderator? I and several others have made comments backing the Union (the best thing for Scotland), but they have not been displayed. Is this some bias on the part of this SNP inspired survey?

The decline of support for the Union is not occuring, what is occuring is a decline over the whole of the UK in support for the Labour party, which leads to increased support to the SNP, who unfortunately formed the main opposition party in Scotland since the Conservatives commited suicide over the poll tax.

We have a majority of Unionist parties in Holyrood, and the last election was on a farce, with 10% of the votes discounted. Scotland does not want, or need independence, what it needs is to make the most of the what it has at the moment, by full and enthusiastic participation in the Union.

RE: 575. PMK - Ayrshire, Monday, April 28, 2008 16:04

“A purely semantic point - but I feel "patriot" has some rather unfortunate connotations linking it with physical conflict. Clearly you view it as a neutral descriptive term, I do not; perhaps you feel that "nationalist" is tainted in a similar way?!”

I don’t see anything wrong with being ‘patriotic’, quite the reverse actually.

And whilst I don’t strongly object to the term ‘nationalist’ in does - for me - have some associations with IRA type terrorism & also BNP type nationalism.

Both of which I totally oppose.

So yes, I do see the word as slightly tainted but possibly not as much as you see the word ‘patriot’.

As a life-long, left-leaning nationalist and republican, I am heartened by the first year of SNP government. I think they are doing a great job in a very difficult position (minority in Holyrood, hostile Unionist government in Westminster). Labour, Lib-Dems and Tories cannot match them! We have seen a lot of fresh thinking - though maybe some of it would have been better left to simmer a bit longer - and no doubt more to come. I think reducing the number of local councils is a priority but can't really be tackled until after the next election. As far as I am concerned, the SNP have demonstrated that they are up to the mark and we should hope for a referendum at which I, for one, would be voting for 'independence' - full devolution of all powers to Holyrood, hopefully within the EU.

With Wendy and Gordon's Unionist Commission exposed for what it is - a talking shop for under-employed Peers - perhaps more forward thinking unionists will back full engagement in a real debate on Scotland's constitutional future. After all, if Purcell at City Hall and former FM McLeish can accept independence as an option - anyone can.

572. PMK - Ayrshire

You wished that more Scottish Unionists were willing to engage their opinion on the Union?

It is quite difficult because perhaps there are very few Scottish Unionists?

Or maybe the Scottish Unionists really have no clue why Scotland should stay in the United Kingdom?

I sure do not see any reason.