And there's also a choice to be made here in Scotland. SNP spokespeople at Westminster have criticised Boris Johnson's strategy, but as per usual we're not departing from it properly. There'll be a slight delay in the lifting of restrictions, and mandatory mask-wearing will remain in place for the time being, but the bottom line is we're still ludicrously 'going back to normal' at the exact moment that cases are soaring. We're engaging in a partial surrender rather than a total one, and that is a matter of national shame. There is still, however, time to reverse course.
But what if we don't? That brings me on to the second recommended article - Lesley Riddoch's piece in The National stating with admirable clarity that an independence referendum must be held in 2022, otherwise we'll miss the boat for this whole parliament. The irony is, of course, that if the SNP leadership urgently change direction and act responsibly on Covid, it would become somewhat easier for them to make the case for delaying an indyref beyond 2022. But as I've said before, they can't have it both ways - if they stick with their current intention to join Johnson in giving up the fight against the virus and telling us "we must learn to live with it", there are no remaining excuses for giving up the fight for this country's independence. So which is it to be, guys?
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By 2022 or the SNP is finished. Vote Alba in the local elections.
ReplyDeleteThe SNP aren't just failing to make the case for independence, they are making the case that Holyrood is a gigantic waste of time and money. All that posturing for months by Sturgeon, earnestly telling us about lockdowns and levels, as if we were somehow more rigorous than Johnson's England, has come to nothing as the Delta variant surges throughout the country. And what have we learnt from the first two waves that will help us deal with the third? Not very much at all it seems.
ReplyDeleteAs per usual, they are quick to criticise Westminster, then meekly go along with it a few weeks later. A bit of pearl clutching, to give the impression that is all somebody else's fault, then do nothing to rock the boat or fashion a genuine independent policy which would be more effective. It has exposed the hollow nature of this administration who love to posture (like 'banning' travel to Manchester, when they had no power or means to do so), while never coming up with their own strategies or priorities. They have prospered by pretending to be an opposition to Johnson's Tories, while never acknowledging or taking responsibility for the powers they have, or properly taking them on. It is an abject failure which calls into question the whole Holyrood apparatus and its showering of officials with money. The recent attempts to give themselves grand titles as if they were a proper national government just makes the whole thing even more farcical and toytown.
Yup , ditto that. There isn't a single area of government that they are succeeding in. I used to think it was all just SNP bad but the ferries , failing education , madcap business support and failure to progress any real policies have me shaking my head.
DeleteWitness today's supply teacher fiasco whilst claiming to be providing 3500 new teachers, we need politicians who want to achieve things.
It's far too late for SNP to 'act responsibly'. The bodies are already buried.Health is 100% devolved & Sturgeon could have been our equivalent of NZ's Ardern.But she isn't. She's messed up & 1000s of people are dead on her watch. I say this as a previous admirer. I feel sick. It shouldn't be like this.
ReplyDeleteI think they have given up both James so I have given up on them.
ReplyDeleteIT seems they'll indulge in something worse - a half-hearted effort doomed to failure and weakess
ReplyDeleteTHERE is a reasonable argument to hold off till we have a greater % YES, but such a policy is weak - the Bris are scared so strike now promising IndyRef3 should we lose and a consistent YES majority in polls
ReplyDeleteJames - that Umair Haque article is remarkably thin on data and lays on the drama very thick..
ReplyDeleteI disagree that it's "remarkably light" on data, but frankly it's about bloody time somebody laid on the drama thick. We've been sleepwalking into yet another catastrophe for weeks, and instead of the mainstream media doing its job and asking the awkward questions, it's once again been cheerleading for the government.
DeleteI'm bored of all this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteCan anybody explain why we still have people spouting the total lie that the blesses english support Scotland when they're not playing?
Kenny I'm a big fad dundonian cretin is spouting the same bilge about the glory of our overlords.
I typed Andy Murray Jock c**t into a well known search engine and 4,480,000 results on 0.44seconds.
Andy Murray Jock Barsteward had 16,800,000 in 0/36 seconds. Not all of them had Jock in the result mind.
If they cheat their way to a fraudulent trophy then it will be far far worse than in 1966. And we can never forget that nicola murrell forced out players to grovel before them. An act of evil which will never be forgiven.