Well, the Referndum campaign is officially taking off. Here's the link to the first promotional material:
Scotland Forward
Professional piece of material and lots of good, solid information in it. Plenty of scope for debate and a couple of areas that may cause a few problems.
But one thing stands out against all others:
Europe
In my opinion, the SNP have put their foot well and truly in it. They have made it clear they want to be at the heart of Europe. They have said that Scotland will be at the "top table". What has been promised and more importantly, what's the price of this elevation? Adopt the Euro?
At a stroke, the SNP have probably scuppered the chance for independence by aligning with Europe. They want to be joined at the hip. That is going to cause friction within the party, since many SNP members and supporters have openly voiced either concerns or even outright objections to close ties with Europe. The European Union is riddled with corruption and waste.
And the Scottish voters will not be given the opportunity to decide on membership of the EU. The SNP have clearly stated that Scotland will be a member state.
I don't understand what the SNP leadership are thinking here. Europe is a political basket case controlled by France and Germany. No democracy, as we all saw when Greece was told to behave when they tried to get their own people to decide on their future in Europe.
Perhaps they are hoping that Europe will be kept quietly in the back, while they focus on safer policies such as the economy, health and education.
Europe is the single most devisive subject in politics today. The SNP have effectively split their own support by planting themselves firmly into Europe.
The Unionist parties must be popping the champagne corks.
Indeed, and it's ironic that just as the SNP are exhorting us to leave one 'failed' and 'unequal' union they want to enter another union that's even more unequal and in danger of imploding totally!!
ReplyDeleteI refer Barbarian to my own post on the subject from the start of September.
ReplyDeleteTwo points. Firstly, I don't think they have scuppered any chance of a yes voted (yet)with this. I do think that they have opened up a possible front against Independence for the "unionist" parties. It has given those parties something that they can work with.
Secondly, I can raise your example of Greece with the treatment given to Brian Cowen, the former Irish Taoiseach, when Irland rejected the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum. You could visiably see the daggers aimed at Cowen from various European (Merkel, Sarkosy) leaders.
http://humbug3.blogspot.com/2011/09/referendum-where-it-can-be-lost.html
First point:
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm being a bit too strong, but you're absolutely correct about an opening for the unionist supporters. But it's a big opening that could so easily have been avoided.
Secondly: I have deep concerns about the motives of France and Germany, and I have a horrible feeling that Salmnd has been sucked in. Perhaps there are internal pressures coming from within, maybe a case of "independence or bust". That is dangerous.
Early days yet though, but I cannot see how the SNP will defend this policy.