IN answer to Brian Lawson of Paisley’s letter of July 25, (Would SNP winning a majority of seats really be a valid mandate), it may not seem like a valid mandate, but there are various reasons why we should hang on to it.
No party has ever gained a majority in “first past the post” General Elections. It’s been suggested that Labour once did it away back in the past. But they only did so as part of an amalgamation with one of the Northern Ireland parties. Therefore, to set the bar at a majority of votes, rather than a majority of seats, is to set an entirely impossible target. Unless, of course, that is the SNP’s intention?
When we can be dragged out of Europe by Tory Parliaments, under both David Cameron and Theresa May, who held only around 34% of the Westminster votes at the time – due to the results of an “advisory” referendum, which England voted for and Scotland very clearly voted against – then we should be able to be taken out of the Union, which would be beneficial, by a political party who have a majority of seats and almost a majority vote. Theresa May had to bribe the DUP to get her parliamentary majority!
A General Election is there to vote the political party you want into power. In most elections folks vote not for the candidate but for the party. About 10 days ago I was speaking in our local Yes Hub to a staunch Labour supporter, who is also a strong supporter of independence. He maintains he will never vote SNP. If the next G.E. is a plebiscite, he will vote Labour, even if it could cost him independence. In the same way, my son-in-law is a strong Tory supporter. What prevents him voting for independence is that he hates Nicola Sturgeon and would never ever vote SNP. So, that’s two votes I know the SNP would lose in a plebiscite. There must be thousands of people out there who feel exactly the same.
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Some 40% of Labour supporters in Scotland support Independence – but they won’t vote SNP. If the next election is used to get independence by voting SNP, they’ll all still vote Labour. More votes lost!
Plus, in a general election, we would lose all the 16 to 24-year-olds, around 74% of whom would support independence at the last count. We’ve already lost all the Europeans who immigrated here and supported remaining in Europe and independence, but who’ve now all gone back to the EU due to Brexit!
All of this represents support for independence that would be lost if using a general election instead of a referendum to decide. Therefore, it seems both fair and logical that a majority of seats, rather than a majority of votes, would compensate for those votes that can reasonably be assumed as lost in those circumstances.
On an almost daily basis, we are bombarded with the myth that the last referendum was a “once in a generation” event. It wasn’t! “Once in a generation” was a “throw away” remark made by Alec Salmond in a TV interview. There was nothing written into
the conditions surrounding the referendum to make it “once in a generation”. In exactly the same way Maggie Thatcher told Alec Salmond (at a time when it was considered that it would never happen), that if he got a majority of Scottish independence supporting MPs into Westminster, then we could negotiate for independence. We’ve done
that over the last few General Elections, so we should start pushing it forward.
Then there’s still the Claim of Right, which makes the Scottish people sovereign over Parliament, the Crown, and even the Supreme Court! We should Claim that Right and demand a referendum!
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In Westminster they are only just becoming aware of its importance. They must be afraid of it. Let’s use it!
Charlie Kerr
Glenrothes
We could even declare the Treaty of Union “Null and Void” because of the number of times Westminster has breached it.Then there’s still the “Claim of Right”, which makes the Scottish people sovereign over Parliament, the Crown, and even the Supreme Court! We should Claim that Right and demand a referendum! This is unique to Scotland, and it is now officially in Hansard.
In Westminster they are only just becoming aware of its importance and tried to have it edited out of Hansard. They must be afraid of it. Let’s use it! We could even declare the Treaty of Union “Null and Void” because of the number of times Westminster has breached it.
Charlie Kerr
Glenrothes
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