New First Minister John Swinney has impressed so let's unite for Yes

From what I’ve heard from him in recent days, he has most definitely stepped up to that plate, and some!

I’ll admit – despite admiring John as being a totally solid, dependable politician with total integrity – in the past he didn’t exactly, for me, get the juices flowing, as they say. He was, in my mind, not particularly inspirational. I’m afraid that seemed to generally be a widespread feeling among those involved in politics.

Fast forward to May 2024. This guy seems to have had a personality transplant! For whatever reason, the John Swinney of old has been totally reborn! He has come out punching, albeit in a John Swinney, pretty measured but still very effective way. He really comes across now as being far more confident and assertive than I recall in the past. He also quite happily uses self-deprecation, which I’ve always considered is an admirable trait. Never mind this, though, he has, quite rightly, asserted that eradicating child poverty in Scotland is his number-one priority.

Life is always and will always be about prioritising stuff. We are only a few months away from a first-past-the-post General Election. Surely anyone who wants to live in an independent Scotland – including those who maybe now feel antipathy towards them – really need to just vote for the SNP, for god’s sake!

The Scottish election is the one you can use your regional vote to go for the Greens or Alba if desired, but a UK General Election definitely ain’t the time to do it, or to stay at home. Anyone who is currently totally hacked off with the SNP and that has decided not to vote for them, please think of the dire consequences of not doing so. The priority right now surely must be to maximise the SNP vote as much as possible.

Let’s all get behind “Honest John” (that’s said with affection, not in the derogatory manner used by Douglas Ross last week) from now right up to the election. Dinnae gie the Youns an excuse tae say independence is aff the table for ever and a day, no just a generation!
Ivor Telfer
Dalgety Bay

I WONDER if Alyn Smith could write an article on Schengen, how it operates and, in particular, how Germany was able to use this route last week to prevent the entry of Dr Ghassan Abu-Sitta to France, where he was due to speak about his experiences in Gaza to the French Parliament?

I have been a keen supporter of Scotland’s re-entry to the EU. However, this episode has brought me up short. How can one country in the EU thwart the democratic will of another nation in the EU?

READ MOORE: Let's give up on gentle persuasion approach for Scottish independence

The German government’s suppression of protest behaviour within its own borders – and its stance on the horrendous slaughter of the Palestinian people – is troubling in itself. But to then impose its will on another country has left me with lots of questions about our relationship with Europe. Abu-Sitta is the newly appointed rector of Glasgow University, a very fine surgeon and a great advocate for the Palestinian people. How is it possible for one country in the EU to police the borders of another in this way? Does this mean that if Scotland rejoined the EU, Germany, or any other country for that matter, could vet who comes here?

I would be much obliged if Alyn Smith could explain and offer reassurance.
Anne Bryce
Kirkcudbright

IN the lead-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, there were three main players in the debate.

There was the political side consisting of the nationalist party, the SNP on one side, the Unionist party’s “Better Together” grouping of the Conservatives, Labour and LibDems on the other.

The third group was by far the largest – a grassroots alliance that came under the heading of the Yes movement. Thousands of pro-independence supporters of all and no party, all coming together for one cause. These were the foot soldiers, the strength behind the push for independence. Week in, week out, they leafleted, manned street stands, organised meetings and persuaded people to the cause of independence. They raised the polling from the low 20s to over 50%, enough to frighten Westminster into producing their desperate but ultimately successful “Vow”. All the gallant effort had been for nothing, no independence, just more lies and broken promises, Scotland was put back in its box.

A sad tale to tell the future generations – we tried but failed, again.

“But why?” they’ll ask. “What happened?”

The answer is a hard one. The grassroots did everything right; they campaigned all the hours that God could send, and then more. So, if not the Yes movement it must be something or someone else – but who’s left? Only the politicians.

The politicians were the public face of independence, their faces were all over the newspapers and television, their voices droning on endlessly on the radio. But were they as effective as the Yes campaigners, or did they lose us the fight? Yes pushed out the leaflets, manned the street stands, attended the rallies and marches, opened and ran indy hubs and held meetings informing the people, giving them some insight into the debate, but it mainly came down to the politicians persuading voters from their TV appearances that they – the public face of independence – would be the country’s saviour, the right people to lead it out of the Union and into the birth of a successful independent state. In that task, they sadly failed.

Back to today, independence hasn’t gone away. The same political parties still talk about it, whether it’s next year or the year after, the polls must be higher and consistently higher. The conversation just seems to be endless, which brings me to now.

John Swinney has said independence is possible in five years. But this time. the grassroots campaigners need to have more say. We left it to politicians the last time round and that never worked out.

Five years is a long time, but it does give time for the Yes movement to re-assemble into the force it once was. This may be the last opportunity the politicians have to take the 2014 generation with them, especially those of us of a certain age. Yes can spread the word but politicians have to deliver.

We need a revitalised Yes movement run from the grassroots – real grafters that’ll make sure the politicians don’t fail the nation again. Simply put, it’s time to get the show on the road.
Bill Golden
Forfar

THINK back. Far back in political terms – to when Ed Miliband was Labour leader and hoping to win a General Election.

As one of the infinitesimally few political watchers who predicted he’d lose, there were several factors I considered. Apart from “little bro”

vibes and the ridiculous bacon sandwich, I weighed up a nation obsessed with soap operas who regarded him as having stabbed big bro in the back.

There was another issue, however, and it was brought to my mind this week when I learned that the new First Minister – fairly regarded as a “steadying hand” after Humza Yousaf mopped up all the acres of baggage from the big political romance with hard-to-follow Nicola Sturgeon (above) – did something a little odd. Swinney ditched the minister for independence.

Does this have a Forbes whiff about it? The memory it unearths? Ed’s knee-jerk reaction to the mad Tory jibe that Labour were in hock to the unions.

Did Miliband proudly respond “yes, we are a working-class party with our roots in the labour movement so f off…” or “you’re in hock to billionaires and Russian oligarchs, etc.”?

No. He responded by apologetically loosening Labour’s ties with said unions.

Remind us again – how did that work out?
Amanda Baker
Edinburgh

I HAVE been finding it quite uncomfortable reading the constant harassment of Kate Forbes (below) over her religious beliefs.

I fully appreciate that the Greens think that transgender rights progress is falling backwards. Their demands in support of gender issues are commendable and they have a strong belief in equal rights for all. However, that does not seem to allow support for strongly held religious beliefs.

There are around 5000 religions in the world – are the Greens allowed to pick and choose which believers are going to be harassed and which are to be left in peace with their beliefs?

All 5000 religions have been forced on to children early on in their development, creating a life-long belief that theirs is the true religion. Kate Forbes is a victim of her upbringing and should be left to vote on her beliefs, just like the Greens.

If we live in a true democracy, the majority view will always win. Kate’s one vote on any issue should never be a problem.
Frank Paterson
Dunlop

ON April 24, 12 US Republican senators sent a letter to International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, warning him not to issue international arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli political leaders for committing a genocide, threatening him with “severe sanctions” if he does.

Apart from the letter’s thuggish tone, this sentence is astonishing: “If you [Khan] issue a warrant for the arrest of the Israeli leadership, we will interpret this not only as a threat to Israel’s sovereignty but to the sovereignty of the United States.”

Believe it or not, this threat actually has legal standing in the US. The 2002 American Service Members’ Protection Act (aka The Hague Invasion Act) authorises the use of military force to liberate any American, or citizen of a US-allied country, being held by the ICC. Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC, perhaps because neither wishes to be held accountable for war crimes.

These senators are revealing what the US-Israel relationship is – a fusion of two sovereign nations into a single demented entity. But it’s even worse. It means the US government will go to any lengths to protect Israel, including the violent suppression of its own citizens’ protests against the genocide of Palestinians.

A single senator, democrat Chris Van Hollen, criticised the letter, saying: “This thuggery is something befitting the mafia, not US senators.” Van Hollen voted for the $95.3 billion weapons bill for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Both political parties are now full-blown imperialist war parties.

The US no longer speaks the language of diplomacy but of war. Its chief “diplomat” has called Russia, China and Iran an “axis of evil”. It has destroyed Ukraine and strengthened Russia. Now it’s arming Taiwan while Congress cheers. The mainstream media swallows the lies it’s fed, regurgitating them to a gullible public, and the US can count on its faithful UK lapdog and the EU as it marches the world towards Armageddon.
Leah Gunn Barrett
Edinburgh