Swinney must throw off shackles of platitudes and demand our freedom
This blatant bias is a democratic outrage from a proclaimed 'impartial' public broadcaster where polls consistently show support for independence at greater than 50%. Through partial and slanted 'news', the public is being deliberately misled into thinking that the Labour Party can fundamentally 'change' broken Britain and that if more radical 'change' is necessary we should listen to the 'voice of Brexit'.
The incessant denigration of all areas associated with the Scottish Government, especially the NHS, does not cease at the end of First Minister's Questions but is repeated nightly in Reporting Scotland bulletins while the fourth largest party at Westminster is rarely represented on the BBC's Politics Live panels which often include 'Brexit voices' now in Brexit denial.
So how can the people of Scotland give voice to their aspirations within the democratically decadent structures of the UK? Where the SNP appear to be erring is in believing that the public who have been condemned by Westminster to austerity and failing public services for more than decade can see through the British Establishment mirage and realise that the 'fundamental change' that is necessary for Britain can only be delivered through Scottish independence.
John Swinney may have steadied the SNP ship (which still disturbingly for any semblance of genuine UK justice has the cloud of Branchform hovering over it) but can he now assertively steer the ship through choppy waters to a new harbour beyond the control of London? Being honest and respecting your opponents are admirable personal qualities but Keir Starmer has demonstrated, in spite of his initial warm words, that he does not respect Scotland as evidenced through repeated decisions made at Westminster without consultation with the Scottish Government, even in a devolved area such as fishing. In other words, Starmer is treating Scotland with the same contempt as his Tory predecessors.
Swinney's recent call for Starmer to honour the previous commitments of those PMs to Scotland on funding for the Acorn carbon capture project will regrettably only be advanced when Starmer sees political advantage to UK Labour at Westminster.
Starmer's declaration that no matter the wishes of the people of Scotland, there will be no referendum as long as he is prime minister, demonstrates that democratic principles mean nothing to a prime minister who has already abandoned any social or moral principles he may have held with policies that have enriched the wealthy while the poor and disadvantaged, along with the people of Gaza, have been left at the mercy of those without any principles.
This humanitarian scourge must be ended through robustly presenting the many arguments favouring independence which show that there is a better path for our people and for our children.
For the SNP, this means recognising that the time has come to start acting in the manner of which they have misleadingly been persistently accused by their political opponents of focusing all their efforts on independence. The time for the First Minister being 'Mr Nice Guy' with the UK Government has passed as the Scottish public want the 'real change' that can only be delivered by the people of Scotland determining their own future.
It's time for John Swinney to throw off the shackles of political courtesy and parliamentary rectitude within a manifestly corrupt UK political structure serving the British Establishment and refocus the efforts of the SNP and the Scottish Government on the critical fight for Scotland's future.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
IN the two glossy flyers I delivered on behalf of the SNP in the Hamilton by-election with 300 to 400 words in each, there was NO mention whatsoever of the word Independence.
Why no independence from the SNP? Are they ashamed of the word?
It is the only idea that generates optimism and hope and breaks down the apathy and disillusionment currently around. 9000 SNP voters didn't vote for the party this time over 2021. That's more than the total SNP vote this time.
SNP managerialism fixing rotten Labour policies won't cut it.
Thom Cross
Carluke
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It's dreadful and exceedingly low-calibre, showing a woman lying fully prone and face down. It channels an energy that's entirely at odds with the dynamics of Ms Vine's rise, fall and recovery. How Not to be a Political Wife: HarperCollins £20
