In the run up to the 2014 referendum I published a fair few blogs on different issues, hoping to persuade friends and perhaps others of the positives of the case. I'll never know if I made a difference. Here we are now at the end of June 2018 and the UK that 52% voted to give their trust in again, has completely gone. Utterly gone. We have learned that promises from the UK government are not to be trusted.
It began on the 19th September 2014. Just hours after it became clear Scotland had narrowly voted no to independence David Cameron stood on the steps of No 10 and announced English Votes for English Laws. Stifling Scots MPs influence even more in Westminster. I'll never forget that moment, etched forever in my mind, the absolute complete and never ending contempt for Scotland from our neighbour. "Lead us, don't leave" torn up before the ballot papers packed up. The love bombing ending in a barage of tory hubris & arrogance.
The EU referendum which was only an attempt by Cameron to bring to heel the Eurosceptics within his own party, mis-fired spectacularly in the 'Leave' vote. We have since discovered that a company called Cambridge Analytica had very dubious funding, and mis-use of social media personal information to swing the vote. Today we learn that Hedge fund managers made a fortune on the Leave vote by predicting the effect on the £. The whole referendum was run on lies, misinformation and very probably illegality on funding. But will it be stopped? No, the Tory government ploughs on regardless. Scotland of course voted Remain by 62% but too bad, we'll be dragged out against our will by these dodgy Leave votes.
The passage of the EU Withdrawal Bill through Westminster has been a disgraceful abuse of power to the Parliament and to Holyrood. The devolution settlement has been turned on its head with 24 really important powers being returned by the EU on exiting, being kidnapped on their way to Holyrood, by Westminster.
Whatever happens next there will soon be another chance for Scots to choose their future. To stay with the British government or to leave and forge our own future? No one is saying it will be easy, but we are saying it will be worth it.
Here are a few things that won't happen
- There will be no #BetterTogether
- There will be no #BroadShoulders
- There will be no #BlackHole
- There will be no #Lovebombs
- There will be no #LeadDon'tLeave
When someone asks "What Currency will you use?" You will reply: "The currency you will buy our oil, gas, water & whisky" with.
- There will be no "what will be the price of XYZ after independence?"
- There will be no "you just hate the English"
- There will be no "too wee, too poor, too stupid"
- There will be no "your family in England will be foreigners"
Here's what will not work
- Branding our food with the union flag, will not work
- Branding our culture and iconic structures and landscapes with the union flag, will not work
- TV programs about the war will not work
- TV programs about anything with Great British... in the title, will not work.
- TV news ignoring the work of the Scottish Parliament in favour of murrderrrs, road traffic accidents, weather & football, will not shift us.
There is no positive case for the Union. It is gone. Killed by Brexit and the Tories themselves in their contempt for Scotland, now seen by all during the passage of that Bill and the false promises from David Mundell.
The democratic deficit can now only be resolved by all of us here in Scotland. We must vote for independence - the future in a Brexit Britain is beyond nightmare. The 51st State of the USA, our Scottish Branding gone, our Scottish identity gone. Our Scottish way of life, gone. Yes it's that serious. We want neighbours, not masters.
The Question will be this:
Which Government do you want to make all the decisions which affect you and your family in Scotland?
The Government in Edinburgh which Scots vote for?
Or
The Government in London which England votes for?
This blog entry was originally published at bonningtonmill.blogspot.com and is published here with the permission of the author.
