WHILE George Kerevan does write some interesting articles on matters related to economics, it is becoming increasingly difficult to treat almost anything he writes on the subject of the SNP with any seriousness. In Monday’s edition his latest pontification concerned the decision taken by the party’s conduct committee to expel Angus MacNeil MP from the SNP (SNP’s expulsion of MacNeil is a symptom of the crisis in the party, Aug 14). Kerevan attempted to make a case against this decision on the basis of his opinion that Angus MacNeil is a likeable guy, fully committed to the cause of Scottish independence and that he was expelled for being a critic of the SNP leadership.
Unless George Kerevan has been away somewhere over the past few weeks without access to Scottish newspapers, he will be perfectly aware of the circumstances which led to MacNeil’s initial seven-day suspension from the SNP whip at Westminster. Given those particular circumstances I think that most reasonable people would not regard the action taken by the SNP against MacNeil at that point as Draconian.
READ MORE: Diverge from the line of SNP HQ and you’re out
At the conclusion of the seven-day suspension MacNeil was invited to resume the SNP whip, which he then publicly point-blank refused to do, stating conditions that would only make him prepared to consider doing so after October. The SNP was therefore presented with the situation of having an elected MP who was not prepared to commit to support his fellow SNP MPs in the House of Commons.
George Kerevan considers himself to be knowledgeable on political matters. Bearing in mind that Angus MacNeil’s action was not a “one-off” decision to refuse to accept the party whip over a point of principle on a matter being voted upon in the House of Commons, I would therefore ask if Kerevan can advise readers of this newspaper of any other political party which would allow one of their MPs who did similar to remain as a member of that same party?
Having previously asked George Kerevan several weeks ago to cite examples to support another of his critiques of the SNP, I do not intend to hold any breath in anticipation of a response.
Jim Finlayson
Banchory
ONE of my favourite National correspondents George Kerevan slipped up in his reference to Parnell in his otherwise excellent article “SNP’s expulsion of MacNeil is a symptom of the crisis in the party”.
He writes: “Dominant political parties can disappear if they take the wrong road. Witness the fate of Parnell’s Irish Parliamentary Party.”
READ MORE: What SNP MPs are saying about Angus MacNeil's expulsion
Parnell was a formidable Irish nationalist party leader but it was his alleged sexual scandal and affair with another MP’s wife that brought him down, and with him his party. The party split, losing the vital Catholic Church vote over his “adulterous behaviour”. Politics can be shaped by very personal indiscretions.
Thom Cross
Carluke
FOLLOWING the expelling of Mr MacNeil I now wish to inform Messers Flynn/O’Hara/Yousaf that thanks to their arrogant and appalling treatment of Mr MacNeil, I now publicly wish to inform them that I have “expelled” them as the political party I will vote for.
This seems to be a continuation of the terrible treatment of Joanna Cherry and others by those at the head of the SNP.
Over the past 30 years I have voted for the SNP in council, Holyrood and Westminster elections No more.
READ MORE: ‘Honest’ opinions of the SNP are damaging our cause and country
The article in The National on Saturday by Hamish Morrison quoted four elected SNP MPs who said that they agreed with the decision to expel Mr MacNeil from the party.
Not one of them had the balls to give their name. Why? Presumably, they have been “whipped” by the Big Three or are two frightened to let those who elected them know that as MPs they can’t think for themselves and that they are totally gutless.
Not a good recipe to get re-elected. They just might get “whipped”by their constituents.
Now what party can I find that allows free thinking and honesty and genuinely wants Scotland to become independent?
I Archibald
Edinburgh
AS always, Iain R Thomson gets it spot-on with his comment on the current space nonsense in Monday’s letters. If our governments can be believed, the amounts spent on worthless space exploration are staggering.
We can’t sort poverty, climate change, or European and Middle Eastern wars but taxpayers without being consulted have to fund national space programmes.
READ MORE: Scots told 'don't panic' as dead birds collected by PPE-clad workers
Why? It can only be some kind of technical power struggle between the states Iain mentions. Unless there are space exploration benefits accruing to humankind that we just don’t know about. Anyone?
The “giant leap for mankind” attributed to a moon walker many years ago has failed to materialise.
I wonder what a struggling NHS could do with the billions wasted on space flight. That’s a question the man or woman in the street won’t be getting asked, either by our government or their complicit media.
Jim Butchart
via email
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