BORIS Johnson saying that “trading Scottish smoked salmon for Stetson hats, we will deliver lower prices and more choice for our shoppers” must bring a great sense of relief to all those in the UK who wear Stetsons.
It will not bring much comfort for the rest of the population, who have seen his “best negotiators in the business” take three years to negotiate a leaving agreement and political declaration that he is amending even as trade negotiations begin.
READ MORE: PM: Swapping salmon for Stetsons will protect UK economy
The truth is that Boris Johnson is using the fishing and farming industries to get out of the EU without a deal, while he stokes up support by blaming the collapse of the negotiations on EU intransigence.
It’s a bonus for Unionists that these industries are more important to the Scottish economy than the UK as a whole; there will be many opportunities for them to put the blame on the Scottish Government for the knock-on effects in Scotland.
Removing agricultural subsidies in the UK would make it impossible for the EU to compete on a level playing field with UK farmers without following suit, and there is no way that the EU will abandon their farmers.
Taking back full control over UK waters and excluding foreign boats is the complementary action to taking back control over UK borders and ending freedom of movement, both sacrosanct to Britnats.
Red lines around these two areas will be sufficient to make a trade agreement impossible in the short term. Whether or not they will ever be implemented in the longer term by the UK Government is debatable, but they will have served their purpose and can be dumped like so many more of his promises.
John Jamieson
South Queensferry
THERE seems to be a hiatus in the campaign for independence and a resulting frustration is clearly evident. The small but welcome increase in the polls in favour of Yes has had nothing to do with us but rather what has happened in Westminster. It has to be time NOW for the wider Yes movement to take the initiative to target the No and undecided voters by having the answers to their doubts and questions from 2014 .
The Radical Independence Campaign, Common Weal, the Scottish Socialist Party, the dozens of other groups and local Yes groups should now call a conference to work out a strategy for targeting those we have to win. This will show the diversity of the movement , something which was not celebrated enough in 2014. It is not going to be done by just staying in our bubble and waving flags.
READ MORE: Leaked messages reveal Joanna Cherry in SNP dispute over Holyrood race
We should be holding public meetings plainly asking the question “What next for Scotland independence?”, with speakers who have the answers and the understanding approach to win hearts and minds.
We only need to win 1% per month to our side over the next 10 months to get the healthy polling figures to give us and the independence-supporting parties the confidence to go to the people.
Let’s take the heat off the SNP, stop the moaning and do our bit to help Nicola take us to where we should be in 2021.
Tony Martin
Together For Yes, Gullane
WE have to stop this obsession with stating, say, that there is 51% support for independence, or whatever, without first factoring in the 3% statistical margin of error. If the 3% margin of error works in our favour then we have cause for some celebration. However, if the 3% margin of error does not work in our favour, then the actual figure could result in support for independence being below 50%.
This would happen if we fixate on 51%. When we reach 55% or above in support for independence then a 3% margin of error downwards would still keep us above 50%. Indeed, if the 3% margin of error works in our favour at 55%, we could well be heading for 60% support for independence.
Until then, let’s stop obsessing with a single figure and ignoring the 3% margin of statistical error. It’s not only unhealthy, it’s dangerous, and could be building up false hopes. Do keep in mind that the independence support figure you are fixating on could fluctuate by 3% in either direction. Thank you.
William C McLaughlin
Biggar
SURELY the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom isn’t the sort of person who would just fire off the first idea that comes into his head as official government policy?
The medical experts are telling us that older retired people are most at risk of severe complications, including death, from the COVID-19 outbreak. Boris Johnson is telling us that older retired people should come back to work for the NHS to help with managing the expected surge in Coronavirus cases.
Has that been thought through and joined up? Has any thought at all occurred under the PM’s carefully ruffled hair?
Derek Ball
Bearsden
I AM tired of the council tax pantomime that takes place every year. With inflation a continuous and unavoidable feature of our economic system and everything and every service increasing in price because of that, our councils – already facing painful budget decisions due to austerity-driven budget cuts – are left every year with choice of cutting services or increasing the council tax.
Council tax rates should be automatically tied to inflation.
David McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll
WITH six MSPs currently saying that they will not be standing again in 2021, it’s time to bring home some of our big guns currently at Westminster.
George McKnight
West Calder
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