So as you've probably seen, my plea of yesterday went unheeded (how unusual!) and the special SNP conference has been unceremoniously postponed. The jaws of many, many independence supporters are going to be dropping to the floor right now. If this proves to be the early part of an elongated choreography that eventually ends with the solemn promise of a de facto referendum being retracted, it's going to lead to a perception that there is no promise that the SNP hierarchy make to the Yes movement that can ever be relied upon. No matter how much they bind themselves in, no matter how much they appear to sign the promise in blood, there are simply no lengths they will not go to (or so it appears) in order to come up with an inventive excuse for U-turning. On one reading of yesterday's events, they'll even sacrifice their own leader to come up with an excuse if they can't find a plausible enough one anywhere else.
This decision is also utterly irreconcilable with the words of Nicola Sturgeon only yesterday, when she claimed that one of the main benefits of her resignation was that conference delegates would not feel honourbound by loyalty to rubberstamp her own preferred option, and could instead make a free choice on the timing of a de facto referendum. Well, that advantage is straight back out of the window only 36 hours later, because by the time the conference takes place (if it ever does) there'll be a new leader and the decision of delegates will be strongly influenced by their loyalty to whoever that person is.
However, we are where we are, which means the priority for now is the leadership election rather than the conference. My advice to SNP members is to use any and every contact you have with the leadership candidates or their campaign teams to stress that you intend to vote for whichever candidate is strongest and most specific on holding a de facto referendum by X date (and obviously you'll have your own thoughts on exactly when X date should be). Remember that, particularly in a close contest, candidates will be looking for any sort of extra edge over their opponents, and if they hear from enough members that a crystal-clear commitment to a de facto referendum will bring them a crucial bundle of additional votes, you may well find that the promise is forthcoming, even if it wasn't originally planned. It might also be an idea to ask for specificity on what tactics (such as disruption tactics at Westminster) will be used to press home any mandate won at a plebiscite election.
Over the next few weeks, you as SNP members will have truly unprecedented leverage to bring independence closer than ever before - so please use it. You may regret it for the rest of your lives if you don't.
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Well let's hope the SNP members, like the AA or the RAC, can ride to the rescue and get the vehicle for independence that is called the SNP back on the road to independence.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise they may as well remove independence from their constitution and rename the party the Scottish Gender Identity Party. It seems the NEC have worked out a nice timetable that means a new leader will be elected after the Conference date ( meaning it is cancelled ) but just in time for a legal challenge to be raised re the GRR. It kinda shows you the true priorities of the people on the NEC. Not my priority.
Sturgeon leaving should be an opportunity to just leave this GRR stuff alone and get on with independence but no they want to wind it all up again. Just how does this help independence.
A new leader needs to have a massive clear out of all these time wasting chancers or we wait a long long time to get Alba to replace the SNP.
James the NEC seems to have a priority to put someone in place that is just Sturgeon mk2.
It will be Robertson. Another Sturgeon as you say. Party before country.
DeleteA new leader needs to have a massive clear out of all these time wasting chancers or we wait a long long time to get Alba to replace the SNP.
DeleteIf Alba became as electorally successful as the SNP, or even close to it, wouldn't it just attract its own time-wasting chancers? If they got into government in one, two or three decades, why would they be any more enthusiastic about risking their position by going for independence than the SNP has been?
Keaton as an honory WGD numpty you do pose the occasional reasonable question.
DeleteThe party learns from the mistakes made by the SNP. I have listed lots of them previously so I won't do so again but one that stares everybody in the face is you do NOT let a little clique comprising of a dodgy husband and wife and their pals get complete control of the party. There has been a secret SNP masterplan but it was not to deliver independence. Just picture Sturgeon Murrell Robertson and his wife Dempsie at dinner together having a good laugh about how they stitched up the SNP and Salmond.
Toddle off thank you ... there's a good wee conspiracy theorist.
DeleteMy only hope amidst the debris is that we can now clear out the dead wood and reinvigorate the SNP. We need to be a party again in which talent is recognized and used and cronyism is dead. It’s crazy that someone like Joanna Cherry is marginalized. Her recent tweets give an interesting glimpse into the goings on at Westminster over recent years. Time for a few deselections perhaps…
ReplyDeleteA move away from the cult of personality to more collective decision making, where internal debate is encouraged, would also be helpful. Having more of an ensemble cast, bound by collective responsibility, would also pave the way for future successions, helping avoid the uncertainty that we now see. A hydra strategy if you like, losing one leader to gain several new ones.
It’s the only way I can see to square the circle for Kate Forbes, allowing her to lead a socially liberal collective in tune with the country, whilst keeping her more conservative private beliefs to herself. Ash Regan is also free of the GRR clusterbourach, so might be another good option. I’d like to see them both make their cases anyway.
It’s definitely time for a generational change. If nothing else we could then happily say that a generation has passed, whenever unionists say that indyRef1 was for a generation!
The problem is, the "younger generation" (of Scotland) are supportive of the GRR bill. So what you are really looking at is an ousting of younger minds in favour of older, more "conservative", ones. That risks alienating the very generation that Indy is relying on to deliver it. As ever, be careful what you wish for.
DeleteI'll re-check the polling evidence when I have time, but from memory I don't think your claim is really supported by evidence. It would be fairer to say young people are 'less unsupportive' of the GRR Bill than older people who are overwhelmingly against.
DeleteAsh Regan is also free of the GRR clusterbourach, so might be another good option.
DeleteIs she? Seems to me she's completely defined by it. Said clusterbourach is the only reason she has any name recognition
I haven't stopped chortling for hours at RevStu's tweet attacking Kate Forbes - his only realistic chance of a GC leader, by the way - for her backing of green freeports and solid working relationship with Michael Gove.
ReplyDeleteER, STU, YOU'RE THE ONE PLANNING TO VOTE TORY. I THINK YOU'LL FIND THE TORIES LIKE FREEPORTS AND HAVE THIS GUY CALLED MICHAEL GOVE.
Your plea for today (pun intended) is of course correct though I think 'if ever' is more likely 20 years. I probably won't see indy if the party slothes along in its present dull and boring way. The party was a joke till Salmond grabbed it and made it a real thing. His departure was the only dumb decision he ever made and now we're paying fot it. It seems like the SNP's star is falling (and it is) but the SNP is surprising and could yet rediscover its purpose with the right leader - independence movements need a good leader.
ReplyDeleteIt'll take a wee while to shape up fully but one thing is already clear about this leadership election. To have any chance of moving forward constructively on independence we have to do all that we can to try to ensure that the new leader is not Angus Robertson.
ReplyDelete