I AGREE with most of the contents of Nick Cole’s letter in the National on Thursday about a Scottish currency, except for his assertion that we need to wait for political independence before we can act to prepare for these changes. Nick is wrong about that; waiting for developments on the political front has been the plan of the SNP leadership for too long and has led us into a legal quagmire and undermined the independence movement.
Nick rightly says that we need to have a draft constitution. Well, we have one prepared by people who have not been sitting waiting for the SNP leadership to do this but have done much of the groundwork already. Nick, and any other person in Scotland, can access that draft online now and can comment on it and propose changes.
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On the currency issue, again, many of us have been working on that. The Scottish Currency Group have prepared reports and addressed many of the issues which need to be addressed if we are going to issue our own Scottish currency when we secure political independence. We can’t wait and do nothing as the SNP leadership have been doing.
On the economic front an independent Scotland will need a small team of statisticians and researchers to operate as an independent agency to collect economic data and provide a service to the Scottish Government and business on real economic activity, so that we can ditch the Westminster-designed GERS figures which are useless for Scottish economic development. The present SNP government have the power to do that now, they have promised to do it for years, but have done nothing about it.
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On the fiscal (tax) side of the economy, Graeme McCormick, a longstanding SNP member, has shown the SNP government how they can raise large amounts of revenue, which will not damage the economy, which will not fall on the Scottish people (other than a few very wealthy ones) and which can address many of the standard-of-living problems affecting people in Scotland, and which they have the power to do now, but the SNP leadership have done nothing about this.
Nick is also right that we need to support the SNP to get independence, but that is only true if the SNP leadership is moving in that direction. The truth is they have not taken any “actions” to support people in the above areas yet. If the new leadership fails to do so then the SNP will continue to lose support as they are currently doing. So no, Nick, waiting and doing nothing to make preparations is not a viable action at this time.
Andy Anderson
Ardrossan
ANXIOUS like many others to see Scotland at long last released from the injustice of our Union with Westminster and its exploitative, corrupt and incorrigible governments we have wisely not voted for in more than 50 years, it is deeply concerning to me that there are palpable divisions within the independence movement.
Our recent SNP leadership election brought this home personally in no uncertain way when I dared to say that I would be voting for Ash 1, Kate 2 in a Facebook post. The venom in response was alarming, not only against myself but against my two preferences. Such is the depth of division between SNP members, even more so against members of other independence-seeking groups and parties.
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Alas, Humza Yousaf won the election, and like it or not facts must be faced as currently the SNP in government hold the key to our most immediate route to independence if it is to be gained by democratic consensus.
All eyes now on Humza, as he’s the guy who can improve our prospects or otherwise.
It has been said on Facebook and in letters to The National that he has thus far shown determination at FMQs to stand his ground against opposition parties, forcing them to acknowledge why Scotland’s independence is fundamental to our future wellbeing, and I would like to think others of differing preferred routes toward gaining independence would ca’ canny wi’ further criticism until our new government have given strong evidence of their preferred path toward our common goal.
With a range of organisations seeking our independence, surely a collaborative way forward engaging as many as possible minimises opposition and lessens the likelihood of failure. This, of course, is primarily dependent on leading lights within SNP and Alba resolving their differences.
Tom Gray
Braco
WATCHED both Sunday morning political shows, as I normally do. Firstly, Laura Kuenssberg had Suella Braverman on the ropes twice trying to get an answer out of her, then just meekly gave up and moved on to her next question! Sir Robin Day would be turning in his grave! Next I watched Martin Geissler interview Neil Gray. Here’s a good tip for Martin. When you ask a question, wait till you’ve heard the answer before continually interrupting it by speaking over it asking the next question.
Steve Cunningham
Aberdeen
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