Monday, January 16, 2023

The Scottish Government have used apocalyptic language to justify the absolute necessity of the GRR Bill. Surely, therefore, London's veto of the Bill creates a "human rights emergency" that MUST now be addressed by an urgent push towards independence?

So it's official.  For the first time in the twenty-four year history of devolution, the UK Government will use an obscure power that was generally assumed to be merely theoretical to veto a law passed entirely properly by the elected Scottish Parliament.  Not to challenge it in the courts, but to literally veto it with the flourish of a pen, thus putting Holyrood firmly in its place as a subordinate legislature - a far cry from the post-indyref claim that it was "the most powerful devolved parliament in the world".  And although the veto is potentially subject to judicial review, the smart money is that the courts will uphold it.

Let me put this to the Scottish Government.  You didn't think the loss of freedom of movement with European countries was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.  You didn't think the loss of access to the EU Single Market was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.  You didn't think Scotland's enforced exit from the EU customs union was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.  You didn't think the post-Brexit power-grab of devolved powers was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.  You didn't think London's disastrous mishandling of Covid, which needlessly cost hundreds of thousands of lives, was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.  You didn't think the importance of getting the post-Covid recovery right was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.  And you didn't even think the UK Government's grotesque priorities in the face of the cost of living crisis was a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence.

But you've used some pretty apocalyptic language about the GRR Bill.  Although it would have conferred legal rights that have never previously existed at any point in history, you have argued that, from this point on, the absence of those rights would be totally incompatible with basic human rights and basic human dignity.  You have also argued that voters felt so strongly about the importance of those rights that they marched to the polling stations in May 2021 with the specific intention of rejecting the "bigoted" politicians who opposed the Bill.  And yet without independence, there now seems to be no prospect of those rights ever reaching the statute book in the form that you want, especially in view of the cold water that the London Labour leadership have been suddenly chucking in your direction.  Can we therefore assume that we now at last have a big enough emergency to warrant an urgent push towards independence?  In your own terms: an emergency of the withholding of "basic human rights"?  An emergency of the denial of "basic human dignity"?  A democratic emergency where voters' "rejection of bigots" has been reversed by remote control from London?  Surely it is now unconscionable to wait until 2026 to address these unprecedented emergencies?

25 comments:

  1. You should be happy James. Alba have got what they wanted.

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    1. I've made my position abundantly clear - I wanted the GRR Bill to fail, but categorically not in this way. Anyone in Alba who is foolish enough to express support for the veto should be aware that such a stance is not compatible with support for independence. If the GRR Bill was passed in an independent Scotland, what would we do then? Ask England to invade us and save us from ourselves?

      But by the same token, Anon, assuming you're an SNP leadership loyalist, there's a dilemma for you. I could just as easily say to you: "You should be happy. You thought devolution was good enough for now, and this is the natural consequence of devolution. You got what you wanted."

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  2. No excuse now for Sturgeon to remain indifferent to independence. It's now or never for the SNP leadership to get angry and active.

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  3. Stu Anon will be loving the news. Stu himself thinks it’s a great thing and not at all contradictory because ‘that’s the way the law works right now’.

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    1. Yes, he's now explicitly come out in favour of the UK Government vetoing a law passed by the elected Scottish Parliament. If anyone ever again objects to me calling Wings "a formerly pro-independence website", they can take a hike, because it's a statement of objective fact. (And of course it was even before today, because Campbell urged his readers not to vote for pro-independence candidates in the constituency ballot of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.)

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    2. It's hard to see what battles he has left to fight from here. He's got the one and only thing he ever really cared about. Maybe he could lead Better Together II or something.

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  4. Colonel Douglas Sarwar-HamiltonJanuary 16, 2023 at 6:46 PM

    My brother just asked me, Who is this Alistair Jack guy?
    I told him that Jack carries the White Man's Burden of making sure the natives know their place.
    My brother didn't realise there still was a Sec of State. "What's he been doing all these years?"

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    1. Apart from vetoing laws, the only other residual power of the Scottish Secretary that I'm aware of is nominal responsibility for the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

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  5. The matter of the very high level of deaths due to the incompetence around Covid should have been the last straw. I don't think the SNP will push for independence due to the blocking of the GRR bill but it will be interesting to see how they row back on the rhetoric.

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  6. Good article James.

    Sturgeon - Independence leader - a joke.

    If we wanted to protect the Scottish Parliament against the Tories is this the subject matter - who is going to die on a hill for this bill. Stand alongside bampots and weirdos like Chapman of the Greens - no thanks.

    The only good thing to come from this is perhaps more people will realise Scotland is not a democracy. A Tory (Alister Jack) and a King Charles can block/change any laws passed at Holyrood - the supposed strongest devolved parliament in the world according to the Tories. It's not even the strongest in the UK - N. Ireland has more powers.

    Scotland is a colony of England - the union is an illusion - a 316 year old con trick established by Royal seal. Sturgeon and her gang wanting independence is a delusion held by an ever diminishing number. This is a Sturgeon/Harvie/Slater mess. They are way more upset about this than people freezing and suffering from hypothermia in Scotland. Sadly some numpties will say it is all part of Sturgeon's secret masterplan for independence.

    If you want out of this mess vote Alba.

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    1. It would appear a numpty has been upset by me daring to post:-
      " If you want out of this mess vote Alba."
      Oops I did it again so sorry Lomax.

      Meanwhile WGD numpty Old Pete says:- " We need independence tomorrow, not years down the road." The numpties are getting more upset about the GRR getting blocked than the London court ruling on Indyref2. Funny bunch the WGD numpties - funny as in peculiar.

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    2. https://youtu.be/CduA0TULnow

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  7. Just to put this out there as a possibility James as I am as frustrated regards the process as most independence supporters but is there not the chance that the FM is ( Knowing that the media are staunchly bias against independence and do not report most things) setting traps for WM to fall into to show the general public that we are a 'Possession of England' as far as they are concerned. Most of the general public are not politics nerds like us, so therefore have to be shown via headlines that that is the case.
    The UKSC verdict was a perfect example of that. "Get back in your box Scotland, we own you." The SNP probably knew it would lose the UKSC case, but it made a point, and enraged a lot of non political voters into wakening up to how we are treated by WM.
    The GRR bill, like it or loathe it, will probably have the same effect in that the 'Ordinary' people will again see how we are treated by WM.
    " Back in your box, we own you."
    Did the Scottish Gov pass this, with cross party support, with good intentions. Of course. Did they think, or even hope, that it would be vetoed by WM. Possibly.
    Either way it will increase support for independence by again demonstrating to the non political Scottish public that we don't matter to WM except to steal our resources to keep themselves afloat.
    As I said at the start, this is only a thought and I agree with what you said about Brexit being an opportunity. We returned 56 MP's in 2017 and could have struck while the iron was hot, but was the general public engaged enough to go on our own at that time? Maybe, maybe not, we'll never know. But without doubt polls in favour of independence are rising with each and every time 'Joe Public' sees how we are just ignored. Our votes don't matter. Hell!, the 'Red Wall seats are more to them.

    My next hope is that the

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    1. "is there not the chance that the FM is...setting traps for WM to fall into"

      Simple answer: no. She's more committed to trans rights than to almost anything else. The purpose of the Bill was precisely as it appeared: to introduce self-ID. She'll be horrified by this outcome.

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    2. Setting traps for Westminster - great idea - what's Sturgeons next trap? Set a trap that forces them to close Holyrood for good and she can go off and retire saying I did my best.

      Delusional numpty nonsense that was punted under the banner of a secret Sturgeon masterplan for years.

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  8. Would certainly be interesting if the SNP went into the next UK GE (or, indeed, Holyrood election) standing on an explicit manifesto of independence for Scotland if they win a majority of votes "because otherwise we can't get the GRR bill through because of Westminster".

    Not entirely sure it's the headline policy justification for independence they ought to choose.

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    1. If they were going to do that they wouldn't be lying to you about their inability to call an election with a majority of msps. They lie and say they can't do it without 2/3rds of seats (lie #1) and that it would result in dross or sarwar FM (lie #2).

      If it was their plan they'd be warming you up to it by telling you that and then doing it.

      But they're not and they won't as it's not their plan.

      Obtaining independence in Scotland given the opposition will involve lots of self -sacrifice by its leaders. Salmond illustrated this by furthering the cause of independence massively by increasing yes support to nearly 50% bequeathing a golden legacy to sturgeon..he resigned for his efforts, the greatest independence leader Scotland has ever had.

      Sturgeon would need to further this by delivering a yes alliance pleb at holyrood with both no chance of victory, likely UK ignoring it and at best difficulty in gaining international recognition..but the process of doing so would reinvigorate and spur on the yes movement even though it risks both SNP power over devolved indy politics and Sturgeon career ambitions and popularity..

      The fact that she won't shows you she's a time waster who we need shot of asap

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    2. Hey, give it time. We might overnight find that, mysteriously, suddenly a lot of SNP MSPs have found that there actually is a way to dissolve Holyrood early and that apparently there's a good reason for doing so.

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  9. I don't want to sound too cynical, but let's imagine that Sturgeon's trauma over her losses in the 2017 election has made her into a hardened devolutionist. This kind of news story makes it harder for her to avoid an outright push for independence in the next G.E / Holyrood election.

    So how does she manage to keep her job as FM yet avoid pushing for independence?


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  10. How do you push for Independence,I have yet to hear a coherent workable plan to get Independence.The Tories and I suspect Labour 2 will refuse to negotiate Independence even if we got 60% in a plebescite election.The reality is there is no court international or otherwise that will get us Independence.
    The reality is we have to negotiate with Westminster at some point .The problem we have is how to force Westminster to negotiate.

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    1. I mean theoretically they could just ignore any attempt to 'force negotiations'. So do you have a suggestion? Or are you saying UDI.

      Saying a vote is a plebiscite, campaigning on that and winning is a lot harder to ignore than simply saying you are going to hold another referendum. They can't say 'now is not the time' because it's already just happened, lol. What's the worst that could happen? It would at worst put a tonne more pressure on WM and would get people to take to the streets, which is effective.

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  11. Here's a theory. Maybe I'm wrong. But I read reddit a lot, and for me it's quite a good representation of youth today, definitely the politically active youth.

    In r/Scotland it's mostly pro-indy, but still a few anti-indy voices in there. They also always try and have a 'balanced debate'. For example, re: 'the post-Brexit power-grab of devolved powers', some were saying it WAS a power grab, some (even pro indy folks) were saying it wasn't. Rightly or wrongly. Even the top comment about the UK supreme court knocking back independence - the top rated post was a supposed indy supporter saying it's not undemocratic or colonialist or anything close and people are blowing everything out of proportion, it's just the way the law is and now understand the law more clearly.

    Fair play, they try very hard to be balanced and nuanced which is surprising.

    However with this issue they've absolutely lost it. It's pretty much unanimously FOR the Scottish government on this issue. I mean even from my perspective it is definitely a more clear 'power grab' than others that came before, it's so blatantly obvious because it's a veto, there's no grey area, no slow change of legislation over time, it's in plain sight.

    Now I know what you're thinking. The youth vote is not everything, and historically they vote less. But what happens if this motivates them to vote more than anything else? How about 5% extra under 30s turn up to vote. I'd bet less than 1% of the over 30s would would change from Yes to No because of this issue, even if they disagree with it.

    Just throwing this out there as a possibility. The youth are becoming more and more politically active in my opinion and it's good to have some more foot soldiers.

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  12. @FitzyFan, "So how does she manage to keep her job as FM yet avoid pushing for independence?"
    Easy, you go in to the next Westminster election claiming it's a plebiscite on independence when in reality it's a plebiscite on whether to hold another referendum, which of course Westminster will refuse, then you go in to the Holyrood elections claiming...

    Rinse & repeat.

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  13. as real yes salmond says if Scots want independence they will have to take to the streets. but to get them to the streets they'll have to have democracy denied. a yes alliance at holyrood with an elect pleb being ignored is the best example of denied democracy.

    Meanwhile SNP tell lies about the ability to do that by:

    1. Lying about there being a 2/3rds requirement to dissolve holyrood (they can change the law with a majority of msps to requiring just a majority of msps to dissolve holyrood - it's a devolved power to do so from the 2016 Scotland Act)
    2. Lying about dissolving holyroud would put a tory or Labour FM into holyrood. it's a lie it would cause an election.

    This is form Sturgeon loyalist mouthpieces like Pension Pete, Hunter and Carslaw who are doing her bidding for her. They are not fit to lead the independence movement and proper independence supproters should be voting real yes alba not these charlatans.

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  14. SNP members should be asking themselves why the SNP are lying to them about the HR23 option. Why is it not an option on the SNP NEC resolution? Answer - the SNP leadership are kicking the can down the road again.

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