A DECADE OF DECAY

I first delivered the Scots Independent and SNP leaflets in the late 1960s as a primary school pupil in Crieff, living in a caravan, chapping doors in the biggest poshest houses of the town, running up and down long drives marvelling at the size of those houses and wondering at the wealth of their occupants and where that wealth had been earned; two wee brothers in a pram and a pushchair kept me on my toes and  on Hogmanay 1969 I was enthralled hiding behind the couch in our living room listening to my parents and their friends sing ‘Flower of Scotland’ and debate the extent of the bonanza Scotland’s Oil would deliver to them.

 Fast forward four decades – when my left leg went its own way in 2013 rendering me unable to chap doors and deliver the good news, I’d been a lawyer for almost 40 years, a home owner with a mortgage nearly paid off, a son in school, stepchildren, a grandchild, a niece and nephew whose futures were precious and mine to protect. I made it because of my parents’ efforts and views and the Scottish education system. My head teacher John Murray deserves a mention for he was a firm believer in encouraging those he spied with ability to drive themselves forwards and he did all he could to spur us on. My class alone leaving school in 1979 and 1980 included scientists, engineers, linguists, managers, and business leaders. That’s one class from one school – replicated nationwide those achievements and potential were capable of transferring our country overnight.  We didn’t achieve a damn thing as the result of the Union, that Union which stole our Oil Fund and used it to rebuild London, pay for illegal wars and English infrastructure. 

 I was elated to be able to walk part of the route to Calton Hill for the 2013 independence rally; I knew by then that on a personal level life remained worth living and hope, belief in the chance and likelihood of better days for our country though, can be immensely galvanising, liberating and powerful; it overcomes handicaps and losses primarily perhaps because of all emotions hope offers everything we believe we need. And Yes Scotland comprised that hope, the belief in the potential of the people of Scotland to build a country egalitarian and peaceful in nature founded on principles of equality, prosperity and liberty.

A while ago I wrote that Tommy Sheridan said on the eve of our referendum that Scotland had but 40 years of oil left whilst Westminster had just 40 hours – by Jove how I wish that had been true. Today though we observe that oil is yet again a curse. Scotland’s sole refinery is about to expire as England’s refineries plot their expansion to take up the slack from the north. Pensioners in Scotland, where the weather is colder than elsewhere in UK, are losing winter fuel payments because the rest of the UK elected a Labour government and 35 out of 37 Labour MPs representing Scottish constituencies have no backbone; the two child rape clause stays put and we see a multi millionaire PM considers it’s OK for  a Lord to clothe his wife spending thousands on her rigouts. In Scotland mothers observe their children suffer from rickets, and children’s heights are the smallest for years as the result of poverty, hunger and deprivation.

We used to talk about the Emperor’s clothes; these days though we’ve seen the ignominy of the science deniers dictating to us that we will agree that humans can change sex and men shall invade women’s spaces; we’ve been ordered to accept that predators don’t lie and cheat to enable their predation; we’re watching men who pretended they’d become women being rumbled yet failing upwards with new jobs and funding sources. This is the misdirected disingenuous ideology that has fractured our independence movement; it has caused and prolonged the schisms within an otherwise respectful and driven body. 

Just three things have to happen for Scotland to achieve the independent status from which she will prosper; that springboard requires competent government, unity within the movement and an electoral event. 

The first needs John Swinney simply to lift the phone to Alex Neil, and to follow his robust advice on housing, a programme employing thousands and kickstarting  the economy at the same time as alleviating one of Scotland’s most long standing unnecessary privations; 

Second is the series of calls to fellow independence supporters – Alex Salmond of course and also Colette Walker; her party may be small but it is also mighty; his achievements and future plans for Scotland remain awesome and unrivalled. 

Finally, the FM requires Angus B MacNeil on board advising him on collapsing HR and creating that electoral event soon. Build it, they will come.  Failure to engage is the failure to which Scotland has become accustomed and if such is delivered by an SNP leader than that party’s conversion to supporting devo max and the Union will be complete. Prove me wrong please. And do it today. 

2014 was a dress rehearsal; the serious business needs to happen now, otherwise our people will continue to die unnecessary premature deaths; hope will be stilted and progress stalled. No longer is it required to argue for leaving the Union; the case to be made is why to stay; it’s a corner nobody can fight for there is no defence, no case to answer. Union life comprises want, hunger, cold and death. Scotland deserves and Scottish Independence can and will only deliver better.