I THINK Dennis White (Letters, February 8) has misunderstood the purpose of the courts. Yes, it is to test legislation, but they can only do that when the event has occurred, and that I believe was the thrust of Andrew Tickell’s article (No outcome was always the most likely decision in indyref2 case, February 6).
For example, yes, the courts know fine what the definition of murder is, but until someone actually dies they cannot state if murder has been committed, and only then after they have looked at the evidence. When you do not even know what the question is, how can the courts judge if it is a legal referendum?
READ MORE: Andrew Tickell: Which parliament has the right to hold an independence referendum?
This is why the SNP has stated they will call a referendum then make Westminster challenge its legality. This is actually a clever move because it is no-win for Westminster: they could lose the challenge and then have to allow a referendum, or win and be seen to be denying the democratic rights of the people.
More interesting was Andrew Tickell’s article from the last January issue of the Sunday National, in that the Unionists claim you cannot have a referendum because changing the constitutional state is the reserve of Westminster (The best laid plans..., January 31). Andrew quite rightly points out that referendums do not change the constitution, governments do – quite simply, we had a referendum in 2014 and that did not change the constitution.
Neil Morison
Dornie
READ MORE: No outcome was always the most likely decision in indyref2 case
WELL done to Bill Clark for his letter in Wednesday’s National. I’m one of the many thousands of SNP members who feel exactly like him. There is a serious concern among many members in my local branch regarding the almost McCarthyist nature of politics within the SNP just now.
Instead of being a wide tent welcoming everyone who supports independence, there is a group of activists very close to the First Minister who take it upon themselves to track the online history of anyone they don’t agree with and then fire in repeated complaints to the National Secretary and the First Minister to get these members suspended or kicked out of the party.
This is disgraceful behaviour yet none of it has been condemned by the First Minister. She must know what is going on but refuses to act. In the same way she has stood by and let various members routinely threaten and abuse Joanna Cherry.
If the First Minister is serious about independence then stop all the infighting, stop picking sides – bring the party together, or no-one will forgive you if you don’t deliver independence!
Barry Hughes
Paisley
ABOVE the main door to the Abbott House in Dunfermline is inscribed the following motto: “Sen vord is thrall and thocht is fre keip veill thy tonge I coinsell the.”
In modern language it says: “Since word is captive and thought is free, Keep well your tongue, I counsel thee, ie think what you like but watch what you say (OR tweet!) Great advice rolling down the centuries for our current politicians!
Come on guys! We cannot allow you to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory!
Doug Fraser
Dunfermline
JULIA in Friockheim (Letters, February 11) is obviously very angry! She is obviously also very sincere in her belief that the current attempted reform of gender laws is misguided (to put it mildly). However, what it all boils down to is: what’s the best and quickest way to achieve self-government?
Sadly a very large number of Scots do not subscribe to “indy at any price”. Some are of the “Whit’s in it fur me?” persuasion. Others are recent wobbly Yessers. Others are “Ahm just no’ sure” etc etc. We have to carry as many of those people as possible to gain indy.
READ MORE: No, we won’t wheesht for indy when our rights are being threatened
It sounds to me that Julia has lost sight of this in her outrage over the handling of the issues she refers to. Sadly, life is all about priorities.
Has Julia ever considered that thrashing out these issues until it’s all sorted (presumably to her satisfaction) may very well result in indy slipping away for a second time? Nothing – not gender recognition, free speech, etc – must be allowed to muddy the waters.
The British state and others have successfully employed fracture tactics against many movements they considered unacceptable or a threat to their power base. Don’t let it be successful this time.
Barry Stewart
Blantyre
ANENT Calum Stewart’s letter (February 10) on the connections of the Calcutta Cup to the East India Company slave silver, I have no quarrel with his general point, but it should be noted that there are very few items of precious metal, gold or silver, that are not linked to bestial exploitation of native populations, most notoriously the silver mines of Peru and gold miners in South Africa. Or indeed at the other end of the scale, the Carnegie steel fortune literally built on the backs of the American working class. Is there a line to be drawn, and if so where?
Ken Gibb
Ayr
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