dougal03

Have been watching on British TV the latest spats over this.Boris says one thing but he really meant it to mean something else.Then another politician,I think it was Robert Jenrick,said it was about Nicola Sturgeon.And how they all are concerned about the nationalistic trends & talk of separation that could break up"the union" etc.& not really objection to devolution.As someone who is viewing this from afar,& not Scottish born,I think it sounds a bit insincere,to be polite.In the recent past Bonkers Boris has repeatedly stated that he will not allow another independence referendum to go ahead as the last one was a "once in a generation" issue.My grandfather was gassed in the trenches of Belgium in WW1.I think that he was lead to believe that that was a war to end all wars,which of course,was not the case either.To me,it does sound like bullyboy tactics by those in Westminster.Perhaps they should take note of what happened in Spain when the Govn.took that stance,but Catalonia thumbed their noses & went ahead anyway.

scot47

Boris is a great recruiting sergeant for us !

scot47

George Kerevan sees things in a bleak light. I agree with much of what he writes here. The "Left Opposition" within the political wing of the Scottish Managerial Class ?

https://www.conter.co.uk/blog/2020/7...the-crossroads

Just remember what happened to The Left Opposition in The Comintern !

dougal03

That is an interesting article.Of course,I am taking it in as an English person who´s family on both sides including myself,have always been in business.Probably a family tradition just as others follow a trend in employment.I don´t like the social definitions mostly such as "working class" etc.because it sets up divisions in society.That is why I am sad to see the demise of the Grammar schools in UK.I went to one although none of my siblings did & at that time,there was a fair old mix we had all qualified for a place equally. .As I see it,in political parties of practically every sort,they get labels attached,just as this article does,like "left" or "right" inclination.One time I lived in Scotland Sir Malcolm Rifkind was our MP & I met him & had a conversation.Maybe he has changed but I found him to be unbiased in his views & didn´t come over as "a posh upper class Tory" at all.Perhaps Alex.Salmon will set up a new party which will be all-embracing,however he may have to convince some female voters who could think"Oh yes,another one like Bonkers Boris" with a reputation.

scot47

Those who keep abreast of developments will know that there have been a few "pop-up" Indy parties appearing on the scene in Scotia. We have a peculiar voting system named after a mad Belgian - d'Hondt. Votes are twofold - one for the constituency and another for "The List". In an attempt to compensate parties who do less well in the votes for the constituencies. the votes for the List are skewed to strike some balance. AFI and ISP have stated that they will put up candidates for The List. I am not sure the Electoral Commission will agree to this. My intention in May is to vote SNP 1 and Scottish Greens 2

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%27Hondt_method

dougal03

I imagine there will be a few more Indy parties appearing after the Scottish elections next year.As you say,that is a strange voting system.D´Hondt may be considered a mad Belgian but the UK has a mad(American born) Englishman running the country just now,at least that´s my opinion.I need to keep up with the political scene in Scotland since I am very hopeful of being able after a long time,of being able to have a vote somewhere sometime early 2021.

scot47

Currently we have 3 new parties which plan to stand in May.

Scotia Future
Independence for Scotland Party
Action for Independence

The first will put up candidates in constituencies and in the list. The other two ask voters to cast the constituency vote for SNP and the second vote (List) for them.

dougal03

Hope you will keep us informed Scot. Got some news today regarding my property sale which should go through so I am hopeful that I will be able to contribute by getting my voting power back after so long & this time in Scotland.

scot47

To many of us it looks as if the SNP MPs in Westminster are getting too comfortable and cosy in that "Palace". They are forgetting that they were elected to get us out of the Union of 1707

scot47

Gordon Ross on Inde-Car is worth following for daily comments on the Scottish political scene.

scot47

SNP Backsliding on Unilateral Nuclear Disarmament is Very Concerning - Sputnik International (sputniknews.com)

Many thought Tommy Sheridan was gone. He is back.

scot47

And today Nicola Sturgeon has said that there will be another referendum "after the elections to Holyrood in May 2021". My view is that MI5 and "The Deep State" will rig it the same way as they fixed the one in 2014.

dougal03

I was speaking with the Swedish agent who is completing on the sale of my property in Spain as he is putting me in touch with a contact who will fix me up with converting currency into Sterling also a Scandinavian.She was saying that her company is inundated with British Nationals.We have been aware ever since the Referendum ,now over 4 years ago,that many are being forced to return as they fear the consequences of remaining,mostly pensioners, & many trying to escape the UK because,equally,they fear the job opportunities that are being relocated to the Continent.You may well imagine that there will be interference in a Scottish referendum vote.It certainly was rigged in the Brexit vote.Thousands of us were denied simply because we had the audacity to live for 15 +years outside of Britain & thousands of those eligible had their voting paper sent,believe it or not, by 2nd.class post so didn´t arrive until after the referendum.But this could mean that many hundreds of new voters are back in Blighty quite apart from the young ones now eligible.If Bonkers Boris thinks he has it in the bag by denying the Scots their right,he may find out that quoting Latin phrases doesn´t mean you are intelligent.

Pulaski

"Rig it"? IMO it's a miracle that it was as "close" as it was in 2014!

Honestly, as an outside observer, without a dog in the hunt, I think perpetually banging on about independence is a distraction from more useful and/or achievable goals that politicians, whether they are in Westminster or on the town council in Edinburgh, should be focusing on. IMO Scotland is no more likely to gain independence than Quebec is.

dougal03

Pulaski,I too am an outside observer,however I have lived & worked in Scotland & as an English person,although that was many moons ago when"independence" wasn´t thought about as as it is now,as I recall.IMO an independent Scotland is achievable & it would be better off being back in the EU fold.After all didn´t the Scots vote to remain?When people say that they are too small to survive independently,take a look at Malta,S.Ireland & even little Gibraltar(which I am quite familiar with since it´s just"down the road").Also perhaps you are not aware of the steely nature of the Scots.