Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Backing Joanna Cherry's slate for the NEC elections

Those of you who follow me on Twitter may be aware of my confusion a couple of weeks ago at a cartoon that had seemingly been created and shared by the so-called 'woke' tendency within the Yes movement. It contained people who were presumably meant to be gay, trans and from ethnic minorities, looking dubious and alarmed as they were asked by a couple of well-meaning Yessers to "let's all just be friends" with people from the movement who are apparently supposed to be beyond the pale - including Wings supporters, feminists with concerns about GRA reform, and most oddly of all the SNP Common Weal group. I can't pretend to know much about the Common Weal group - I'm not sure if they're a full part of Common Weal itself, or if they're just inspired by the same principles. But given that those principles are firmly rooted in the radical left, you'd think the 'woke' faction would see them as natural allies rather than as mortal enemies. A clue to what is going on is that the Common Weal group are supporting a slate of candidates for the upcoming NEC elections who have given their backing to a 'Manifesto for Democracy' - and that slate includes Joanna Cherry and Neale Hanvey, who are hate figures for a small minority of young activists due to the trans issue. Some of them openly wanted unionists to defeat Ms Cherry and Mr Hanvey in last year's general election, and boasted on social media about campaigning in any constituency but those two. 

For my own part, I think both Ms Cherry and Mr Hanvey would make ideal members of the NEC, and I can't see much to disagree with in the Manifesto for Democracy - which includes an urgent push for independence, a fairer complaints process, and a long-overdue reform to give all party members (rather than just delegates) the right to vote in internal elections, such as NEC elections. Of course this runs into the age-old problem with reforming electoral processes - to get changes through you first have to win a vote among the existing franchise, which is often weighted towards those who may have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. 

It's unlikely anything I say will have much influence on conference delegates, who are highly politically engaged and will know their own minds. But for what it's worth, I would urge anyone with a vote at the weekend to back change on the NEC. Let's democratise the party and make independence our number one priority going forward.


14 comments:

  1. BBC viewers in England get a national service.
    Scots, N.Irish and Welsh get an opt-out regional service.
    We all pay the same,effectively subsidising England's service.
    A rip-off and positively colonial.
    Let's get out of this abusive relationship next year and have a truly national Scottish Broadcasting Service.

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  2. ".... to back change on the NEC. Let's democratise the party and make independence our number one priority going forward." As it should have always been.

    Another excellent article.

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    1. Absolutely agree. I cannot see any potentially divisive policy anent independence being particularily useful. I will vote for independence, god willing, but whether any issue that we ought, as an electorate, determine should, realistically be the first orders of businness of an independent state.

      It should not to be a barrier to independence. It ought, perhaps, to signify why we need independence.

      WMMV.

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    2. To spare your blushes, Douglas, I haven't approved your paranoid three comments in which you falsely claim that I deleted your comment, then belatedly notice I have pre-moderation switched on, then bizarrely decide that must mean I've been hacked, and then demand that I "sort it"!

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  3. I cant argue with any you have written today James.

    I am hoping I have a Party of Scottish Indy to vote for next May in the Constituency ballot but right now I don't and that is a very dark and depressing place.

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  4. The first time there was a slate of candidates for National Council was in 1982 and that resulted in Gordon Wilson banning factions.

    Those hoping to have "their" slate of candidates elected might be a bit disappointed. All this factional argument is in a twitter or Facebook bubble. The majority of the delegates aren't part of the dialogue or argument. There is real life and then there is twitter. They will vote for those they know. I would personally would get rid of a few on the NEC and have a refresh.

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    1. This is not the same as the 70/80s divide.
      Nor is it about Covid halting campaigning.
      The SNP took on nearly 100k new members but almost nothing changed anent structure or strategy.
      Too many at the top struggle to take the bull by the horns.
      Also both NS and AS before her present themselves as the personal embodiment of the independence movement.
      The ongoing stushie between the two shows the precariousness of this.
      Other SNP Figures - Cherry, Whitford, Russell etc should be sharing the burden of leadership.
      Nicola Sturgeon is a good "wartime" leader in tough times.
      A party of 100,000 needs to utilise its full range of talent in the months ahead.

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  5. The Scottish people, being Sovereign, an independent Scottish Government should put all controversial motions to a referendum of the people, its their country.

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    1. While I like direct democracy a lot. Not all things should be decided via referendum. Some things should be off the table. Such as rights. They should be constitutional. It's why women couldn't vote in Switzerland until the 60s.All major and controversial changes had to be decided via referendum. Most men said kept on saying no.

      I originally thought it was great when gay marriage was allowed in Ireland. It was decided via referendum. Then I realised it was even better when it happened in America, years later. It was decided in court. It was deemed a right. People shouldn't decide whether others have rights.

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  6. I also completely agree, no more needs to be said.

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  7. The SNP machine certainly needs new batteries.
    Too many in top positions have become too comfy for too long.
    Before we had big numbers of MPs/MSPs
    there would be Spring and Autumn leafletting campaigns.
    Now at such a critical time in Scotland's history the publicity department seems mostly to consist of press conferences and half awake rebuttals of Tory attacks.
    If some or all of the CWG list are elected, they need to get shot of the dead wood and take the foot off the brake.

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    1. Sure, but comfy jobs in politics will exist after indy. In fact, they'll be more 'comfy' and secure; no threat of devo being cancelled or powers curtailed for a start...

      If there are careerists in the SNP, then they'll back indy because that's what the electorate backs / is moving towards. It's what has surely motivated some who would have been Labour previously to try and worm their way into the SNP; they see the way the wind is blowing.

      It's only unionists suggesting SNP 'careerists' are getting comfortable with the union. They don't want you to vote SNP.

      It's easy to spot them because any idiot knows that careerists are the weather vanes of politics; they swing with the wind of popular opinion. If you are an SNP careerist, you back indy; no question about it.

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