Unionists implode over the prospect of Scotland rejoining EU

Emanating first from their rancid ultra-right-wing press, it rippled down to their most uneducated trolls on social media. It was as if, for the first time on looking into the mirror, it was a not a reflection of New Britanicus that they saw but one of a Scotland interacting with her continental neighbours within a trading bloc of nations.

So why the meltdown, why the outburst, why the petulant throwing of the toys from the pram? Well, that is anyone’s guess. My theory is that they read such publications as the ultra right produces and actually believe it! When those that seek to control all Leavers within the rUK said that an independent, socially just Scotland would not be allowed to join the EU, they, the great unthinking, believed it. Yes, they soaked up all that bile about Spain, GDP and the euro without first running their own background checks on the accuracy of such bile.

I do not feel sorry for the Unionist as we have, for our part, time after time, highlighted these inaccuracies only to be told to shut up as the Unionist knows best. After all, we are nothing but vile cybernats.

Of course, the decision of whether to rejoin the EU or not will be a matter for the people of Scotland to decide, and no huffing and puffing from an increasingly isolationist New Britanicus will sway our decision.

It was entertaining watching the keyboard commandos on social media run around in ever-tightening circles as the foundation to their world seemed to turn to quicksand beneath them.

Yet again they have discovered what they thought to be a pillar of wisdom turn out to be a mirage of mainstream media propaganda.

The border issue they will come back at us with time after time, so let us be clear about it. Yes, there will be a border just as there is one between Canada and the US – and people and goods transit that border on a daily bases. How difficult the rUK makes it will be in direct correlation to how easily they want to access our spare electricity or fresh water.

It is not an easy time for most people going through the lockdown, and discomfort can be magnified a thousand fold for the Unionists as they look through the looking glass.

For what they see on doing so is a Scotland with a bright future as they realise, to their liking or not, that independence is right.

Cliff Purvis

Veterans For Scottish

Independence 2.0

AS a newly retired pensioner, I have personally been taking advantage of this fantastic weather and have been very active around the garden and house during this lockdown period from early morning, and consider myself very fortunate and lucky!

Lunchtime break has now become set around the First Minster Nicola Sturgeon’s detailed and informative government pandemic update, which I feel is firstly to personally inform the people of Scotland, and then the world media if they are interested or care, what decisions and actions the Scottish Government departments are taking, and how they made their management decisions for the common good of the Scottish people on the ground in Scotland going forward that day.

These very competent and professional presentations have built my confidence that Scotland as a wee nation is being managed competently by a group of caring professional people to the very best of there ability in very difficult ever-changing situations, and that they are honest people.

These presentations have also given us as citizens a chance to see first hand how irrelevant, pointless and unnecessary most of the UK media is in our everyday world, and how controlled by the UK establishments these so-called correspondents and journalists are.

By comparison, it was as a matter of total amazement to myself last Thursday when by total chance I switched on the television, and who was asking a question to the UK Government’s health minister on their teatime pandemic update on BBC?

It was the Edinburgh Evening News, on national primetime television!

You have to ask yourself how a Tory-leaning evening newspaper with the last published circulation figure of below 17,000 (and that was a long time ago) in Scotland is getting a window to ask questions on primetime UK-wide telly?

My only answer is desperation from Union Jack the Scottish viceroy, as his platoon of obedient Scottish Tory MPs have become a millstone around the necks of Scottish farmers, fishermen and rural businessmen, and he is looking for some kind person to drop the rope ladder down into the very large hole the Scottish Tories have dug themselves into in Rural Scotland.

Ian Thomson

Gordon

Berwickshire

IT is difficult to say if there was a particular point in time, or event, or series of events, that generated and/or substantively continued to generate, general political awareness and personally responsible voting in Scotland – dev1, dev2, the invasion of Iraq, Holyrood 2007/2011, UK 2015, indyref1, Brexit, Covid-19 (Strains A-C), projected EU no deal, Holyrood 2021, and indyref2 are all and/or will be involved.

Perhaps the most disturbing and unexpected outcome to the establishment status quo was some 100,000 new recruits to the losing side of indyref1 in 2014. Not only were many of these people previously acquiescent to their rule by career politicians, they dwarfed the previous membership of the independence movement, and they really began to flex their political muscles in 2015.

All the events noted above were divisive to a greater or lesser extent, and the citizens of Scotland seeking the right to self-determination sometimes started to see their friends, colleagues and neighbours in a different light. And sometimes they were somewhat disturbed by what they saw, and felt desperately obliged to try to understand their contrary viewpoints.

What does seem to stand out is the fear of unknown change to the fundamentals, that these friends were used to, and enjoyed, had a right to enjoy, and had paid to enjoy. This is not just a libertarian low-tax, small or even anti-government viewpoint, but it does at times include whiteness, creed, sexuality, gender and free-floating fear generally. Many present as lovely people, but as we know from Brexit as well as indyref1, fear is a very, powerful tool.

AUOB marches have probably been successful in positively showing to the public that not only is there a tangible demand for independence, but that their usual source of information and/or elected representative has been lying to them. The makeup of the marches, with their pushchairs, families, dogs and generally disparate appearance, visually highlights the breadth of social inclusion, which negates the promoted view that it’s only those with nothing to lose that support Yes.

If voters do not want the citizens of Scotland to have the right to be an independent EU nation state, then they should vote No. If they want to privatise the NHS, they should vote No. If they want more and bigger food banks, they should vote No. If they want to substantively end farming in Scotland, they should vote No. If they want greater access to chorine-washed chicken, hormone-reared beef and crated pork, they should vote No.

But there does need to be one, albeit inclusive, vote Yes message – that there is a sought destination of a fair society inclusive of enterprise that requires independence, and that independence is not a standalone goal in itself, with whatever after. The people of Scotland must be clear on what and where they want to go in 2021, or the negotiations after Yes2 will be between the Scottish Government and the UK Government standing shoulder to shoulder with their political Scotland branch office MSPs.

Stephen Tingle

Greater Glasgow

IN those rather gloomy days, my heart was lifted with your headline Unionists are furious with the EU after the door is left open for Scotland’s return (May 21, 2020).

This headline gives hope and optimism for our future going forward out of lockdown and our recovery as a country. And in light of this week’s discussions at Westminster regarding future immigration from Europe, with the Conservative Government determined to implement a points-based system, boy do we need to see those headlines if there is any hope of recovery. A glimmer of hope lives on.

Catriona C Clark

Falkirk

I AM very disappointed in the SNP and Pete Wishart over the Scottish affairs committee. The Tories cheated the numbers on this by putting more Tories on it than there should be.

If you stopped 100 people in the street in any English town the vast majority would not know the Tories had cheated on this committee.

That Mr Wishart appears to have accepted this corruption of democracy and allowed the committee to go ahead is a disgrace.

The SNP should have walked out. This would have forced the media to report on it, which in turn would have given Mr Wishart and Ian Blackford the chance to inform the people of the entire UK what was going on and why.

The SNP wonder why there is talk of another independence party. Well, this example of missing the boat and accepting corruption and cheating of democracy is, I think, why supporters are becoming frustrated.

I note Mr Wishart was first in with a column on why we should stick with the SNP – then he allows SNP to be cheated.

He needs to stop thinking of his opponents in Westminster as colleagues. They are not. They hate what the SNP stand for.

I hope the SNP realise they need to act very soon after next year’s election. I’m sure by then more indy scots will be pushing for action.

Bill Robertson

via email

WHAT a case of extreme irony in MP Henry Smith’s tweet about the “lazy left” and their desire to work from home. He should know that those not going to Westminster or Holyrood are just obeying the Prime Minister’s guidance to work from home if you can and only attend work in person if you have to.

MPs and MSPs also have jobs to do in their constituencies, as well as in parliament. They were given additional expenses of up to £10,000 to make communication from home more effective and ensure that they can fulfil their roles effectively. I would say that being at home working for constituents is far more important in the current situation than the usual work of parliament.

Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has decided to take a holiday while we are still in the middle of a national crisis of unprecedented proportions in peacetime. He recorded his speech on changes to the lockdown on a Thursday, because he doesn’t work at the weekend.

He models himself on the statesman and Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, but one thing I am sure of is that in the middle of the Second World War, Churchill wouldn’t be deciding what to do at the weekend or where to go on his Whitsun break, at least not until the war was over.

How can anyone say that this Prime Minister is doing a good, or even adequate, job?

Pete Rowberry

Duns