If you believe in Scottish Independence you will risk everything unless you give both votes to the SNP

‪#‎SP16‬ ‪#‎VoteIndependence‬ ‪#‎MhariBlack‬ #SNPbecause #BothVotesSNP

Although I have great sympathies for those that work for the smaller #indy parties standing on Thursday (5th May 2016) and I do want them to be represented in the next #Holyrood parliament, anything less than an SNP majority will jeopardise the prospects for any future move to independence. That is why I am plumping finally for both votes SNP in this election.

Once Scotland is independent then I shall vote #Green. I was originally going to vote Green on the list, until the episode in Westminster when Caroline Lucas went into the lobby with the Tories over the matter of full fiscal autonomy for Scotland having checked out what to do with the Scottish Greens. I disagree with FFA for Scotland simply because to me it would give Scotland the worst of all possible worlds i.e. no control over foreign affairs, nuclear weapons, etc. but on this particular occasion solidarity with the SNP was more important as it had no hope of being passed anyway. Thus the Greens lost my list vote.

I also toyed with voting #Rise on the list as I am in admiration for several of their columnists that appear in the National. However the prospect of indy overrules everything, so its ‪#‎bothVotesSNP‬ for me, but hoping for some Greens and Rise MSPs too.

Then we can have proper democracy in Scotland and the #SNP have been so much better than the preceeding #Liebour./ #FibDum administration anyway.

Whatever you decide (as I can only state my thought process on this one) please vote and make sure it is for an independence supporting party. 

How do NO voters feel, now that Westminster is taking the complete piss out of them and Scotland? They are the much vaunted "silent majority" after all.

Where is the so called ''Silent Majority'', that voted no?

They voted no, we were told, so they got as near to as federalism, so that Scotland got Super Duper devo max that was better than independence, so that ''The Vow'', was delivered. 

How do they feel, now that Westminster is taking the complete piss out of them and Scotland ?

We voted NO supposedly; so we are now powerless or as good as.

As after all they not taking the piss out of any YES voter are they, as most of us knew this would happen as Westminster have form on this over and over again.

My poster from last year seems strangely prophetic.

As the recent happenings in the House of Commons prove this is how the UK Constitution now works....

- English votes for English laws

- English votes for Scottish laws

- No Scottish votes for English laws

Scotland didn't vote for this. Does the UK care? Does Scotland care? Only time will tell.

The Scottish Referendum and its aftermath. Feelings of absolute desolation, anger, disbelief and betrayal.

Know that you are not alone in your feelings of desolation, anger, disbelief and betrayal over the outcome of the Scottish Independence Referendum. It has almost been like a bereavement. I too am in many ways ashamed and embarassed for Scotland.

There was a strong feeling on Friday night when I was at the local Yes activist party (yes that what it turned out to be) that we had won in every way but the outcome of the vote. It was amazing. We had the get together at one of the local snooker clubs, and we had rented a room for the occasion. When the people in the main part of the club discovered that we were the local Yes group many wanted to talk and shake our hands. Some turned their heads and would not look us in the eye which is not a mark of someone who is proud of what they have done.

Despite almost every vestige of the British state being thrown at us (the only one they left out was the use of the military) including the media, the heads of multi nationals, the heads of supermarkets, the head of banks and finance houses, etc. the Yes campaign achieved 45% of the vote.

The Yes campaign won the argument. It was only the concentrated fear and small amount of hope churned out by the British state and its pals which turned the few in the last week or so from Yes to No. The British state only won by bullying, intimidation, lies and deceit. It was pointed out that within a few months, nobody in Scotland will have voted no, or at least remembered doing so as it will be proved to be act of national betrayal, and actual stupidity.

So the Yes Movement will continue in some form or other (we are meeting again in 3 weeks) and I understand from a few other Yes groups that they will be continuing too. You may even see the organisation continue nationally and that is what we shall be lobbying those on high for. However we all need a rest at the moment.

Therefore we at our local Yes group were asked to do the following...

1. Continue to display at least one or two of you yes signs in your windows or garden. These now do not need to be so prominent or numerous but should still be visible. This is to reassure those people who voted Yes that this is not over.
2. Continue to wear any Yes badges, and Scottish flag buttons on any occasions you can.
3. Display a 'stay Yes' sign, or a '45' logo on your social media profile. Again this will keep the Yes campaign visible. I personally prefer the first one, but have done both on mine.
4. Join the SNP, Scottish Greens or Scottish Socialist Party. You will be far from alone if you do this - I opted for the first one but this does not mean you shouldn't opt for another. We are hopeful there will be an electoral pact between these parties in future elections fighting under the banner of Yes or something similar. They have all flourished throughout this campaign and have a flood of members since Friday to the point that both the SNP and Scottish Green websites crashed several times on Friday and Saturday.
5. Keep the faith. Who would have thought that even 10 years ago 45% of the Scottish population would vote for Scottish self determination? The rich and powerful in Westminster that triumphed on this occasion over the people will not do so again. They only won by using every underhand tactic in the book.


Remember Alex Salmond, on Friday 19th September 2014, said 'The real guardians of progress are not the politicians at Westminster, or even at Holyrood, but the energised activism of tens of thousands of people who I predict will refuse to meekly go back into the political shadow'.

Why not have a wee visit to Edinburgh at the end of September?

Gains of Yes 6: Benefits and Social Security (or welfare as it now seems to be called to stigmatise the poor and vulnerable)

 

I am for YES because I believe the current victimisation of the poor in general and those on benefits is morally bankrupt in a rich country like ours. 

In what universe, barring the old Westminster Etonians, is it okay to victimise those who are in genuine need, such as the poor, the ill and the disabled, whilst giving those at the top of the tree a tax cut? 

 
The Scottish Government in its present form can only mitigate some of the effects of things like the iniquitous Bedroom Tax which it has done. 

However it can do nothing about the Employment and Support Allowance Ability for Work Assessments, currently run by ATOS, which routinely find people assessed as too ill to work by their GP, hospital consultants, etc. as 100% fine. Indeed the assessment centre in the centre of Glasgow has now become known by some as Lourdes as you go in ill and come out miraculously cured (at least as far as the DWP go but unfortunately not in any other reality).

It can do nothing about Job Seekers Allowance claimants being sanctioned for no reason and being left with no income whatsoever, hence the rise in foodbanks, begging and the need for payday loan companies. 

Each change made to the benefits system by Westminster seems to make it less fair and the only motivation seems to be to save money and to hell with the people forced to depend on it. 

This regime is likely to continue under any circumstances at a UK level with either the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats or UKIP all agreeing in principle to this iniquitous systematic demonisation and victimisation of the poor, sick and vulnerable.

Only by voting YES are things likely to be changed. A NO vote would doom the people who depend on social security benefits to misery and despair. 

 

Protest Against BBC Scotland Referendum Bias 2 : 1st June 2014

A wonderful turnout for the second protest at the BBC against its perceived bias against independence during the Scottish independence campaign. I say it is perceived, it is more than that - IT IS BLATANT!! Another protest is imminent and will hopefully be even more popular.

As a result of this bias on this very important but specific issue I now doubt the BBC in general and in particular their news, specifically BBC Scotland news on everything. I am now getting to the stage that I doubt the date on BBCi and the weather forecast unless it is corroborated by someone or something else.

I have renamed many of the media organisations in Scotland.

BBC Scotland is now BBC North Britain
BBC Reporting Scotland is now BBC Reporting North Britain
BBC Good Morning Scotland is now BBC Good Morning North Britain
The Scotsman Scotland's National Newspaper is now not worthy of the name, and comes under the heading The North Briton, North Britain's Regional Newspaper.

Vote Yes for a media that actually fights for the people of Scotland, not the people who currently run Scotland i.e. the Westminster establishment.

Yes Screensaver and/or Desktops

Gains of Yes 5: A Written Constitution

I am for YES because I want to see our country, whether that is the UK or Scotland, have a written Constitution. 

The UK is almost unique in not having one enshrining the rights of citizens. This means the Westminster political elite can currently make it up as they go along. At least currently there is the European Convention on Human Rights which applies in the UK, but then again the Tories wish to opt out of this, and UKIP want to leave Europe. 

As no London based political party wants this voting NO is never likely achieve this aim. Only by voting YES is this likely. A written constitution could enshrine rights like the following…

1. You should have a right to a roof over your head.
2. You should have a right to enough food to eat.  Currently the only way you can assure that you have a home and enough food is to be sentenced to prison.
3. You should have a right to a free education.
4. You should have the right to free health and medical care if you need it.
5. You should have a right to a basic standard of living whether you are in work, out of work, ill or a senior citizen.
6. You should have a right to be treated equally no matter what your race, gender, sexual orientation, and much more.

I am sure that I could think of more were my brain working. Thus I am very impressed by the fact that the Yes campaign have been actively encouraging people to contribute suggestions for the new Scottish Constitution should there be a Yes vote.







Vote Yes for a more progressive and inclusive country, enshrined in a new Scottish Constitution.

A YES Vote is a Vote for the SNP?

Many people will say voting YES in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum is a vote for the SNP. 

The SNP are in power in the Scottish Parliament at the moment until the end of their current term in 2016 as per the current UK Scottish devolution settlement. At the end of their current term of office (and the negotiations for independence) Scotland would become independent, and Scotland’s first General Election would be called. If the Scots decided to vote the SNP in for another term of office then they could. However they could equally vote Labour, Liberal Democrat, or Conservative (or at least the new non-unionist parties that would be formed from the ashes of the Unionist ones of which they are now part). Or they may vote for the Scottish Greens, Scottish Socialists or some other party that I have omitted to mention. The SNP may even cease to exist in 2016 having achieved its central aim, i.e. to make Scotland an independent country.

So the answer is a definite no. A YES vote is not a vote for the SNP or Alex Salmond. It is a vote for Scotland becoming an independent country like all the other independent countries in the world. This is suggested by the question the electorate will be asked…

‘Should Scotland by an independent country?’

There is no mention of the SNP anywhere. This is understandable since there is every possibility that they will not be in power after 2016.

Taking the argument further if a YES vote is a vote for the SNP it could be argued that a NO vote is a vote for the Conservatives.

Scotland has not voted Conservative since the 1950s and doesn’t look like doing so any time soon. The question potential NO voters should ask themselves is ‘Is it right for Scotland to constantly get a Westminster Government it didn’t vote for?’.