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Win or bust as Labour gambles on backing the SNP's referendum



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Published Date: 06 May 2008
By Hamish Macdonell
IT WAS exactly a year ago that Alex Salmond made unsuccessful overtures to the Liberal Democrats in the hope they might drop their objections to an independence referendum and come on board in a Nat-Lib coalition.
Given what he knows now, maybe Mr Salmond would have been better off talking to the Labour Party.

The political landscape on this particular subject has been relatively peaceful since then. Each party's position has been entrenched.

The Nationa...



The full article contains 870 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 05 May 2008 9:08 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Scottish Labour Party
 
1

Richardinho,

06/05/2008 01:07:47
True enough, I'd take a referendum tomorrow, and I'd do anything to try and get a 'yes' vote.
2

Benedict Arnold,

Paris 06/05/2008 01:47:02
"All it would need would be for Labour to object to the wording or the timing or the organisation of the SNP's referendum for their supposed support to dissolve."

Exactly. This is why the First Minister should take an early opportunity (the next FMQs, perhaps) to suggest to Ms Alexander that a cross-party conference should be held (between the SNP and the Labour Party) to agree the wording, timing and organization of the referendum while maintaining, I suppose, that, as the National Conversation is an SNP manifesto commitment, it must run its course.
3

Boggle fey the Bog,

06/05/2008 01:57:22
Hamish gives an option of Windy introducing her 'own bill' into parliament, and daring the SNP to vote against it, oh if it were so simple, firstly, time has to be found, the 'white/green paper' needs preparing, the 'legitimacy' of the bill needs establishing, then 'committee' for the 'wording of the question/s' , 'the timing of the referendum', any numerical qualifications i.e. 1987's 40% vote etc;, whether it is a FPP poll or some sort of STV poll.

No not quite as simple as Hamish would make out, so Windy is basically 'Grandstanding'!!!

Wait til FMQ's and see her keech her drawers when Eck asks her to set up a 'cross party committee to investigate a bill for a referendum on Scottish Independence from the UK' or simply asks her why she's wasting all that taxpayers money on her Commission of Omission, rather than taking part in the 'National Conversation'.
4

democracy,

Scottish Borders 06/05/2008 02:57:48
The referendum wording should simply read;

YES OR NO to the question;

"Should Scotland continue to be governed by a foreign country"?
5

Brian S,

London 06/05/2008 07:03:30
Looks like I will be moving myself north of the border sooner than planned - I won't be outdone on having my say in any referendum.

And as with poster #1, I will gladly be offering my services to the YES campaign team.
6

Aesop,

Edinburgh 06/05/2008 07:48:27
Given that the BBC and STV news departments plus every national newspaper in Scotland is hostile to Scottish independence we can safely assume that 100% of the so-called Scottish media will become a voice for unionist propaganda and scare tactics to bolster the No vote. Therein lies the problem. The Scottish media is a barrier to Scotland becoming a fully functioning democracy.
7

The Strategist,

06/05/2008 08:30:20
Who says the campaign can only be 5 weeks. Most Labour supporters will need a lot more than 5 weeks to understand the issues in sufficient detail to make any sort of judgement.
8

Linda,

Edinburgh 06/05/2008 08:46:32
Brent Crude Oil price reaches record high this morning and Gordon Brown leads Scotland is British campaign group in independence referendum.

What do you think the result would be?
9

The Strategist,

06/05/2008 09:00:46
#8 Linda

Yes - Labour have been consistently warned about the increasing cost of oil and the importance of investing in new energy technologies. It decided instead to hit us with carbon taxes very little of which is being put back into developing new technologies.

10

Dr. James Wilkie,

Vienna 06/05/2008 09:53:28
The media should be banned from using the expression Scottish Labour Party. There ain't no such animal. According to its own website Scottish Labour is "that part of the British Labour Party that operates in Scotland". And its leader is not Wendy Alexander, but Gordon Brown. She merely heads the Labour group in the Scottish Parliament; she is not the party's decision maker. Her independence referendum initiative should be seen in that light.

11

John PM,

Edinburgh 06/05/2008 16:44:04
The unionist campaign depends on fear and a "we're no big enough, we cannae dae it" scaremongering. If it's not attractive it's easy to say why.

I would like a referendum as soon as possible and I think whenever it is held it will be won. Current polls on the SNP's proposed question back that view though you wouldn't know it from this article.

The SNP are moving in on 'civic Scotland' with a vengeance. At the same time Labour are being humped b the Tories in England. This means that the choice will be between that nice Mr Cameron (and his party of right wing loons) or an SNP Government which has established its credentials on various fronts backing the Scottish interest.

During the campaign numerous Labour worthies will run down Scotland and say we benefit from having no voice in the UN and no independent representation in Europe benefiting from the 'more powerful' UK.

Yet the UK has done nothing for scotland in fact in any area of national interest it usually votes the other way. The only 'benefit' from having a security council place has been to back Bush at every desperate turn.

Independence is normality. Most countries are independent and we could not only survive, but would prosper with independence. That is the truth and whenever we get a referendum that truth will eventually come out.

The SNP have a game plan and a positive message that is why they have nothing to fear from a referendum whenever it is held.

How many unionists celebrated the union? Very few?

How many would celebrate it's end? Look around the world at other countries who have declared independence and you will know the answer.
12

John PM,

Edinburgh 06/05/2008 16:46:23
Sorry that should have read "How many unionists celebrated the anniversary of the union?"
13

John PM,

Edinburgh 06/05/2008 16:51:21
That Hamish thinks this is likely shows that even supportive journalists don't really trust Labour or their leader:

"Ms Alexander may have made her offer to undermine those claims without ever being prepared to actually back the SNP's referendum plans.

All it would need would be for Labour to object to the wording or the timing or the organisation of the SNP's referendum for their supposed support to dissolve."

If they do this then Salmond's plan (of fighting an election on Labour doesnt trust the people of Scotland ticket) works even better than before.

Wendy will now (whether she likes it or not) be forced to agree the SNP's plans or face an even bigger and more powerful SNP group in the next parliament.

An attempted rigged Westminster referendum will merely build genuine Scots anger into the mix.
14

Rev. S. Campbell,

Bath 09/05/2008 11:33:55
"The polls may suggest an overwhelming defeat for independence now"

The polls suggest no such thing, of course. What's being proposed by both sides is a simple yes/no question, and the most recent poll on a yes/no question shows a very small majority in favour of independence.

What's more, the same question asked by the same pollsters seven months ago showed the status quo 15% ahead, so we've had a 16% swing towards independence in barely half a year. How on Earth does that translate to "the polls may suggest an overwhelming defeat for independence now"?
15

Nikostratos,

10/05/2008 09:26:31
I was listening to radio 4 yesterday to James Naughtie with Andrew Neil and Ming campbell discussing the referendum all admitted there will be one. The only way to describe their reaction was 'Stunned'..........

 

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