At some point the usual suspects are going to have make their peace with the idea of sharing the SNP with self-ID sceptics. You can't purge or silence people like Joanna Cherry and Joan McAlpine, and trying to paint them as allies of the 'far right' just looks downright daft.
— James Kelly (@JamesKelly) November 28, 2020
Earlier today members of @theSNP joined with members of other parties to publicise a letter containing a defamatory statement about me. I would like to know who organised the letter so I can seek redress. Now this new account https://t.co/UrKipWDXA3
— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) November 28, 2020
Is retweeting the defamatory material. I would like to know the identity of the organisers of this account & the letter are so I can contact them for redress. Please let me know if you can help. Thank you
— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) November 28, 2020
I note you’ve removed the defamatory reference of me in the letter. It’s a sad state of affairs that many prominent political party members such as @agcolehamilton signed upto such defamatory comment. I am still waiting on an apology and a donation to a charity of my choice. https://t.co/MG8B3bWFx0
— Christopher McEleny (@ChrisMcEleny) November 28, 2020
What a shame Alyn didn’t read my speech before commenting. I supplied a copy to the party in advance. It would be a little surprising if a senior lawyer was advocating an “illegal” referendum. Time to get our ducks in a row. https://t.co/Sl6bkUA4lM
— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) November 29, 2020
📣 Today, @theSNP members have an opportunity to elect an NEC that will unite the party behind an independence campaign led by the grassroots. The power to #MakeChangeHappen is in your hands. Here's the team we're backing: https://t.co/LPZeeDcqDt
— SNP Common Weal Group (@SNP_CWG) November 28, 2020
If I was an SNP member this is the slate I’d back. As a Yes supporter the direction & vitality of the SNP matters too. Fringe events - even online - cost around £6k, pricing out grassroots voices. Cmon SNP members - have courage to democratise your party. https://t.co/e1PeML4XwW
— Lesley Riddoch (@LesleyRiddoch) November 28, 2020
Couple of points from recent threads. Of course it is completely legitimate for people who support independence to criticise the SNP if they don't agree with there policies - whether that be on a second referendum or any other subject. Critsising a political party if you don't agree with there policy is quite normal; seems to be a growing trend to label independence supporters who do so as 'unionists', of course they are not it is perfectly possible to openly criticize the SNP, maybe even join or start an alternative pro indy party and still support independence.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that holding a referendum when the polls suggest that the 'yes' side would of lost, with hindsight, would not of been a good idea. However now of course that is a mute point and I can see no reason that (as looks likely) there is a pro independence majority after next years elections that the legislation for a second indyref be on the statue books by the summer of 2021, with a provisional date in spring/early summer 2022 for the referendum to be held.
Totally agree, what I find weird though is people demanding a party do what they personally want when they're not even prepared to join it.
DeleteI don't like the Tories and criticize them because I don't want them in power. I'm not telling them what to do, but attacking their governance because I want them out.
What I don't do is e.g. demand that the Tories give up on capitalism and become left wing because that's how I would like to see them run, even though I can't be ersed joining them and trying to make that happen, but instead just shout my lofty opinions from my armchair day in day out.
You'll find that the biggest critics of the SNP in the 'indy movement' right now are not actually members, with some of the most well-known having never even voted SNP, and living in Southern England.
I can't see the difference between such people telling the SNP how to run their party and Boris Johnson telling Scots how to run Scotland.
If people are unhappy with the way the SNP are doing things, they can suggest an alternative or join the SNP and try to change their direction. Just moaning incessantly is either unionist plantism or lazy as fk and don't care about independence.
It's also rather telling how little time current 'pro-independence' ardent SNP critics spend criticizing unionist parties such as the Tories. Often none at all.
DeleteI agree that for internal matters such as members of the SNP NEC SNP leadership etc then only SNP members should comment on matters regarding that.
DeleteHowever it is perfectly normal and correct that anyone (no matter what party they support or if they are a nationalist or unionist) should be able to to challenge or criticise the First Minister of Scotland and her Government about any policy that they want to weather that is regarding something not related to independence such as self id or why the Scottish Government has not yet held a second referendum, as you say this is completely normal and exactly the same as challenging the UK Prime Minster and his Government on their policies. Doing so does not make you a unionist it just means that you are using your demographic right to critsise the Government - its only in places like North Korea that you are not allowed to do this.
Sure, but when all someone does is criticize everyone in a party / the entire party, no matter if they e.g. are anti-self id or pro-plan B, incessantly, day in and day out, while rarely if ever (?) openly attacking the UK government / parties in such a way, it kind a smells a bit suspicious.
DeleteWe are talking about people that tell me how great Joan McAlpine is for standing up to the 'woke transfans' while telling me not to vote for her as my list MSP because she's SNP.
However, I am one to say that if you want to criticise, you must have viable alternatives to propose, otherwise, you should keep your mouth shut.
And I've never told anyone that they can't criticize a party, just said don't do a Boris Johnson and tell others how to run their own house even if you don't live in it as it tends to make you look like a pompous prick.
I'd like to add my tuppence worth in. I see many folk on social media saying that "unless the SNP do as the want they will resign" I did say when I first read one of them go on resign then, or stay and try and change minds of the rest of the party. Afterwards I just ignored them.
ReplyDeleteEvery day since 2014 I've dreamed of another shot at iref2. I deep down knew we'd lose in 2014; Cameron called it right and what could the SNP do but try. I did have a hope that maybe, just maybe, but I expected to lose. It was too early; Scotland's time had not quite yet come, with the opposing forces still too strong.
DeleteNext time, I want to win, and the SNP message of 'we need to persuade more people before we try again' has been absolutely the correct, factual advice. We can hold a million irefs and lose every time, which we will unless >50% back indy. It's not rocket science.
So people demanding the SNP hold an iref in 2018 can only be doing so because they wished they had and Yes had lost again.
It doesn't take 70% yes, just a message from Scots that 'yes, we are now ready'. The polls suggest we may now, after many decades of progress, have reached that point. Scots will tell us in May 2021 if they are ready.