I VERY much appreciate Ruth Wishart’s Monday contributions. I find myself in very strong agreement with much of her article. I do however disagree seriously with her on one important point.
We have approached Westminster twice (yes, only twice) on the issue of a Section 30. On the first approach Mrs May didn’t say “no”. She said “not now “. And on the second time, Boris Johnson said “no” on the ludicrous basis that we “promised” that the 2014 referendum “was a once in a generation event”.
Read his response. That’s it. That is all his reasoning. It is mince. We did no such thing on any manifesto and any attempt at a refusal supported by that infantile rubbish will not survive legal challenge.
This is part of Nicola Sturgeon’s response to Boris Johnson: “One thing, though, is clear – the people of Scotland will get the right to decide our own future in an independence referendum. The Westminster Union cannot be sustained without consent. Democracy will prevail. The only question is how long it will take the Tories and the rest of the Westminster establishment to accept that inevitability.”
That is the case. Sir Keir Starmer and other democrats have already conceded the point.
The notion that we will not get an agreed referendum is being furiously pushed by our opponents (and their operatives among us) and is being swallowed and echoed by too many people who should know better.
Doing their work for them actually.
In the event of a huge victory for independence support and our right to choose at May’s election (by a significant majority of the vote on both ballots) we will set a date for a referendum. And in front of a whole world full of Scotland’s friends, the UK will not defy the terms of UN Charter, the Scottish Claim of Right and the final words of the Smith Commission.
Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank
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