A short summary of the year ahead by the Observer.
It would be nice to follow Antony Newley’s ‘Stop the World I want to get off’
But that’s not in our gift.
We all have to do what we can to work towards a more democratic and tolerant world.
December 28, 2019
The Observer View
December 22, 2019
An Independent Scotland or 10 years under the Control of Boris Johnson
Two articles in today’s Scotsman on Sunday (22/12/2019) by Euan McColm and Dani Garavelli
McColm berates Nicola Sturgeon on yet again pressing for a 2nd Independence vote. McColm makes the point that the votes of SNP together with the Greens in last week’s general election didn’t make the 50% mark ie taken together they wouldn’t win the vote for Scottish Independence. In any case he stresses the point that even with the matters derogated to Scotland the SNP has made a mess of them eg Education and the NHS
Read Euan McColm here:
Dani Garavelli comes from another direction. We have Johnson for 5 years at at least and probably 10 years. During that time, he is likely to move the UK drastically to the Right. Already he has gone back on allowing child refugees entry into the UK to meet up with their parents. He is also considering making appointments to the judiciary on a political basis (as in the US). And Heaven knows what will happen to working conditions.
Read Dani Garavelli here:
Comment
In my view McColm is correct in that the SNP Government has not made a good job of the opportunities afforded to it over the last 10 years. But his article dwells on the SNP continually pressing for a 2nd referendum which is unlikely to succeed and, in the meantime, the SNP failing to tackle the outstanding Scottish problems; rather than the devastation that a Johnson Government could make to the UK Social Fabric as a whole. Surely it is better for Scotland to go its own way, free from the Social destruction under Johnson. As the expression goes, Scotland ‘to take back control’.
December 1, 2019
Venice for Independence
It’s not just Scotland that is seeking Independence
Venice too.
November 16, 2019
Scotland declaring UDI
I refer to my recent blog
https://derryvickers.com/2019/11/15/1461/
and I wonder, should Scotland declare UDI, whether the UK government would charge the SNP ringleaders with Sedition and issue long prison sentences on each?
November 15, 2019
Clara Ponsati and Aamer Anwar working together
I support Catalonia and consider the prison sentences on members standing up and trying to set up an independent Catalonia should be withdrawn; the sentences are horrendous. But they knew what they were doing and what they might expect.
I don’t think Clara should be extradited to follow suit knowing what would await her if she returned.
Aamer Anwar is doing a great job at defending Clara’s extradition at, I suspect, much reduced fees.
And he gave a great Jimmy Reid lecture.
See the video at
Clara Ponsati with Aamer Anwar
October 27, 2019
Unthink the Britishness
Radical Independence Campaign Scotland [RICS] Event in Glasgow: 26/10/19 – a few comments
‘Unthink the Britishness’
From today’s Guardian
“I came to fusion because I passionately believe that it is needed – that it can change the world,” says Chapman. “I’m convinced that not only is fusion important: it’s going to happen.” We’re not on the verge, but it’s just about in sight.”
It could equally have been
“I came to Scottish Independence because I passionately believe that it is needed – that it can change the world,” says Lesley Riddoch. “I’m convinced that not only is Independence important: it’s going to happen.” We’re not on the verge, but it’s just about in sight.”
Is Independence an attitude of mind?
Getting the Referendum through, looks to be target of a lot of the people at the meeting yesterday.
It’s a little like the Leader poem by Roger McGough. To ‘Wanna be Independent – I am Independent – What shall we do now’.
OK I stretch the point
Yesterday was a good event
Even though the hearing loop was not on – I continually hammer this with the organisers of the event I attend, and they all apologise and promise to better, I heard quite a lot.
I am now used to Aamer Anwar having been to his Jimmy Reid lecture and read his address on becoming Rector of Glasgow University, but his speech is still good with Hope at the end
Lesley Riddoch was good in the final wind up session even though we got a touch of the Nordics.
And I did like ‘Unthink the Britishness’
Get rid of the feudal society once and for all. I could add: Eradicate David 1 who I am studying at a course given by Edinburgh University.
But it is not that easy.
“Unthink the Britishness”; but its more than that – its unthink Western Europeanism. You will reply that Norway has successed and I hope they keep to it. But Sweden is backsliding, and Denmark?
Are we fighting ‘Human Nature’? John Gray take a very pessimistic view. Dawkins- The Selfish Gene. I much prefer the late Stephen Jay Gould.
But to closer at home; I note that for all the good intents of the SNP Government to move Scotland towards the constitution of the RICS it is failing, and this is NOT wholly Westminster’s fault. It is more that the SNP are at best hitting their heads against Democracy and all its legal trappings as we know them.
It is unclear to me that Full Independence will resolve all the history of European Civilisation and reach the promised land of the RICS Constitution. It’s the people who love to be in power; ‘power corrupts’.
As a small aside it could be that the small comings together of the townships such as Eigg and Knoydart are the nucleus of a new human society. Gould put forward the concept of Punctuated Equilibrium that change takes place in small groups away from the centre but once these small groups become strong enough, they move back and take over the centre.
In my experience the small townships are as much populated from across the UK as a whole, as from just Scotland.
BTW Cat Boyd was one of last persons proselyting the original RICS Constitution.
Realism and Passion are uncomfortable bedfellows.
Find the RICS Constitution at:
http://radical.scot/about-ric/ric-constitution/
October 18, 2019
Johnson in a Rush – To minimise the Opportunity for MPs to read the Small Print
From Today’s Financial Times
The deal that Boris Johnson signed with the EU yesterday has immense economic and constitutional implications for the UK.
In any normally functioning democracy, a treaty of this magnitude would be subject to extensive parliamentary scrutiny — if not a confirmatory vote by the British public.
The reality is that neither of these things is happening, or indeed likely to happen. MPs are being given little time to scrutinise the text before being asked to hold a landmark Commons vote tomorrow.
As for the confirmatory referendum, there will be numerous attempts by MPs to secure one in the days ahead if the Johnson deal is passed. But MPs on all sides are now so fatigued by Brexit that their efforts are unlikely to end in success.
The absurdity of the situation is not difficult to see. As Martin Wolf argues in the FT, the Johnson deal damages the UK economy. As he writes: “It is going to make the country substantially poorer than it would otherwise be. It is going to reduce the resources available to any future government to deliver on domestic policy promises.”
The constitutional implications are possibly worse. The Johnson deal means Northern Ireland will be in a completely different trading relationship from the rest of the UK. This will inevitably fan the flames of militant unionism for the first time since the Good Friday Agreement.
Note, for example, this story that the Democratic Unionist party met loyalist paramilitaries — including the Ulster Volunteer Force — to discuss the implications of a mooted Brexit deal this week. This is troubling.
Meanwhile, Scotland, which voted Remain, will want the same preferential trading terms with the EU as Northern Ireland. Instead, the Scots are being subjected to the hard Brexit that Mr Johnson is imposing on the whole of Great Britain.
As the commentator Ian Dunt writes: “It is as if Westminster were trying to write the SNP’s independence campaign for it.”
One other aspect of this deal should not be ignored. Many MPs will vote for the Johnson package tomorrow because they think they are avoiding no deal.
But this simply isn’t the case. Under this treaty, the UK will enter a standstill transition period until December 2020. If there is no fully-fledged trade deal agreed with the EU by then, the UK will crash out anyway.
In other words, if the Johnson deal passes tomorrow, Britain will spend the first half of 2020 having the same argument it has had for the past three years. Do we accept the tough trade terms the EU wants to inflict on us? Do we ask for an extension? Or do we crash out?
MPs campaigning for a confirmatory referendum will not give up hope. If Mr Johnson succeeds tomorrow, they will try to pass an amendment demanding one in the time left before the UK’s departure on October 31.
But the numbers probably aren’t there because MPs and the British public believe that passage of the Johnson deal will mark the crossing of a Rubicon. They want the UK to move on to other things.
Of all the illusions about Brexit, this is probably the greatest of all.
Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
Tim Farron – Belfast Telegraph
“Those factors added together mean that the border in the Irish Sea would be absolutely permanent – that, in my opinion, is a racing certainty.”
Johnson chose the wrong date for leaving the EU: He should have chosen the 5th of November not the 31st October
September 13, 2019
A Bridge too far
Odd that if Johnson gets approval for a bridge between the UK and Northern Ireland that by the time it is built there will then be two border posts to provide paperwork to: England to Scotland and Scotland to Northern Ireland.
September 3, 2019
Johnson: What no cuff links
No Cuff Links
Johnson is loosing his grip
Or is being overtaken by Cummings.
Since moving into Number 10
Brexit: Do or Die
We can only hope.
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