Direct Democracy is how to reclaim Scottish Sovereignty
By putting the People back in charge
Doug Morrison (Scotsman letters, May 27) is another victim of British Nationalist gaslighting. He believes Scotland, with just over 5 million educated people and oozing natural resources worth trillions, can’t afford to be an independent nation. I guess he hasn’t noticed neighbouring Denmark, Norway, Iceland or Ireland, small countries with fewer resources than Scotland that are thriving. The difference is they aren’t yoked to a larger nation that plunders their wealth, impoverishes their people and governs them with an iron fist.
He says if you ask an independence-supporting Scot to define independence, there’s nothing to define. Nonsense. Independence means reclaiming our land, resources, culture, languages, history and ancient constitution from a grasping and greedy colonial power.
It’s done by implementing a system of Direct Democracy where the People are in charge. Direct Democracy decentralises power to the regions and municipalities and imbues the People with Political Rights, rights that are guaranteed in the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the UK ratified in 1976 but never bothered to enact into UK law. In its May 3rd review, the UN Human Rights Committee criticised the UK for its failure to implement the Covenant. MSPs in Holyrood have also failed to act.
Political Rights give the People control over the constitution - so that they can re-write or amend it - and enable them to control Parliament and government by launching a referendum to contest proposed legislation. Direct Democracy would reanimate Scottish Popular Sovereignty and give real meaning to the House of Commons resolution of 4th July 2018: “That this House.....acknowledges the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs.”
Doug Morrison is right about one thing - The Cross of St Andrews DOES belong to the Scottish People. Direct Democracy is how we can take it and our nation back.
When looking for a model to form the basis of a direct democracy, look no further than Switzerland.
ScotGov needs to update SNAP 2 - Scotland’s National Human Rights Action Plan - to include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which was deliberately ignored when SNAP 2 was published in March 2023. Why was it ignored ? Because of Art 25 which recognises Direct Democracy - exactly as described by Leah.