Trying to figure out WTF is going on It is vital that people understand the Salvo/Liberation initiative is not going to restore Scotland's independence. In a very real sense, it leaves Scotland's cause precisely where it is now, even if it is successful and even if that success is both unequivocal and timely. This is because regardless of the Salvo/Liberation initiative, the restoration of Scotland's independence will require a democratic political process. That process will be through the Scottish Parliament. It will not and cannot happen by way of the United Nations or Westminster or any other external body or through some internal body cobbled together for the purpose. Scotland's independence will be restored by an Act of the Scottish Parliament, or not at all. All the rest is ultimately of no consequence if we fail to secure the parliamentary process. The danger with initiatives such as that in which Salvo/Liberation is engaged is that they may tend to obscure or divert attention from the need for this parliamentary process. This is not to say that success for the Salvo/Liberation initiative would not be helpful. It most certainly would. What it would not do is obviate the need for action in Scotland's Parliament which can only be initiated by a Scottish Government with an appropriate mandate from the people of Scotland. In short, regardless of anything else we must: Take back our government! To date, only one process has been identified which would serve to achieve the restoration of Scotland's independence and that is the process quite purposefully called #ScottishUDI. It is likely that this is the only viable process. What is certain is that it is the only one we have right now. And right now is all that matters. We cannot safely assume that some other process will suddenly be identified by the professional politicians who have had decades to think about it. Just as we must assume that every democratic event is our last opportunity to progress Scotland's cause, so we must assume that #ScottishUDI is the only process available to us. It is essential that the grassroots independence movement devotes its energies to pursuit of this process using the leverage afforded us by the 2026 Holyrood election. The 2026 election must be used to establish the most powerful mandate possible for the Scottish Parliament asserting legislative competence in matters relating to the constitution for the primary but not exclusive purpose of facilitating the exercise by the people of Scotland of our inalienable human right of self-determination - there being no other way. To this end, the 2026 Holyrood election must be made to function as a plebiscite on the question of the Scottish Parliament asserting legislative competence in matters relating to the constitution. (The 2026 Scottish Parliament election cannot be a referendum on independence per se, as it is futile - at best - to have a referendum on something that cannot be delivered. First, we must have a plebiscite which paves the way.) In order to function as a plebiscite on the question of the Scottish Parliament asserting legislative competence in matters relating to the constitution, a binary element must be introduced to the inherently non-binary parliamentary election. This is achieved by having all the nominally pro-independence parties adopt an identical Manifesto for Independence. Thus, there will be votes for this Manifesto for Independence and votes not for it. Binary! (This also has the advantage of divorcing the constitutional issue from party politics. The parties cannot 'compete' on the constitutional issue if they all have an identical manifesto commitment on the matter.) The nominally pro-independence parties will not adopt the Manifesto for Independence on their own volition. The grassroots independence movement must combine to use the leverage afforded by the election to 'persuade' the parties that they must do so. To this end, a Manifesto for Independence Petition has been launched urging all the nominally pro-independence parties to adopt the Manifesto for Independence. (If the Manifesto for Independence Petition does not attract a huge number of signatories (target is 100,000) then the nominally pro-independence parties will live up to that label. They will be pro-independence in name only. They will offer no plan or proposal and make no commitment to any specific action. The best outcome we can expect is another five years of inaction and excuses and empty promises. You have been warned!) With massive support for the petition from the grassroots independence movement and subsequently all the pro-independence parties having the Manifesto for Independence written into their election manifestos, unity of purpose will have been achieved. With unity of purpose, we can go into the 2026 Scottish Parliament with a single focused campaign on the constitutional issue. The aim should be to create a super-mandate - over 50% on both ballots. This arms us for the next stage in the #ScottishUDI process. (Beware snake-oil sellers peddling a 'supermajority'. A huge majority with no common mandate and no plan and no commitment is of no more use than a small majority of similar sort. It is a super-mandate that is needed. 76 clueless MSPs is no improvement on 67 clueless MSPs.) The next stage of the #ScottishUDI process involves the Scottish Parliament asserting legislative competence in matters relating to the constitution for the primary but not exclusive purpose of facilitating the exercise by the people of Scotland of our inalienable human right of self-determination in a proper constitutional referendum entirely made and managed in Scotland. But the immediate priority is the Manifesto for Independence Petition as this is the stick the grassroots independence movement will wave in order to take the constitutional issue out of the hands of self-serving politicians and parties all of which have consistently failed Scotland's cause for at least a decade. Make up your mind what is important to you. Cause and country? Or politicians and parties? You're currently a free subscriber to Peter A Bell. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription.
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Friday, 14 March 2025
Tough and clever
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