Direct Democracy is the antidote to the neoliberal poison
Published in the September 6th edition of The Scotsman, without the first paragraph, and in The National, September 8th, in full.
Neoliberalism has underpinned UK government policy since the 1980s and has been an unmitigated disaster. Its premise is that free markets are self-regulating, governments are incompetent, regulation impedes efficiency and redistribution punishes wealth creators and stifles growth. In other words, markets work; governments don’t.
After decades of tax and spending cuts, privatisation and deregulation, the UK’s in a tailspin. The economy is moribund. Inequality is epic. The middle class is disappearing. Poverty is soaring. Employment is precarious. Pensions are miserly. Housing is unaffordable. Public health is worsening. Children are miserable. Life expectancy is falling.
Markets don’t self-regulate; deregulation hasn’t resulted in more competition or efficiency but in monopoly power. Corporate monopolies have captured the political elites and regulatory agencies who make more rules that emasculate the state.
Government has outsourced its responsibility to provide people with basic necessities - healthcare, housing, education, transport, energy - to corporations whose only motivation is profit.
Keir Starmer is right - things will only get worse. He and Reeves repeatedly signalled that they had no intention of changing course despite their empty ‘Change’ slogan.
Scotland’s devolved administration claims it has no choice but to go along with Westminster. That’s wrong. Holyrood could enact the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by the UK in 1976, into Scots law, giving the Scottish People political rights with which to exercise their sovereign power. Direct Democracy is the antidote to the neoliberal poison.
The Scotland Act 1998 allows Holyrood to choose how to implement and protect international human rights obligations to which the UK is a party. At the recent SNP conference, the First Minister said that “taking decisions in Scotland for Scotland … is the key to unlocking a better future for the people who choose to live here.” If he’s serious, he’d enact ICCPR.
Were John Swinney and the rest of them, serious in their 'long claimed/inferred intent' to free Scotland, they would immediately enact anything that would assist in freeing Scotland, from underfoot the Foreign English Colonialist Dictator's Jackboot.
That they have not done so (and probably will not) is because their preference is to hold onto 'Parliamentary Sovereignty', either by continued imprisonment of Devolution and continuance of Scotland being Colonised and subsumed by England.
Or
if they're actually forced into participating (on the back of the research/hard work done by other people, outwith politics), but still try to hold onto Parliamentary Sovereignty.
Attempting to deny the right of We Sovereign Scots, to have restored to us, our Rightful, Sovereignty and Independence, in our Independent Nation of Scotland,
is NOT a good look for any Party, but especially so for the supposed
'Party of/for Scottish Independence'.
Like all the vacuous words (translated means LIES) used by the WM/English Parties, which all proved devoid of anything that would improve the lives of ordinary people,
the SNP have taken to using the same misleading/tactics of pretence/obfuscation/blurring of truth.
Front and Centre ...
Urgent and Essential ...
and
whatever other deceptive soundbites, anything but, 'HOW' they intend to Reclaim and Restore Scottish Independence.
Are they hoping for an 'early Election', in the hope that, as Scots have seen a little of the deceit/lies/etc of the pretendy 'labour' Party, they would choose to vote to return the SNP to power?!
I will NEVER vote for any English Party, or one which does not have stated clearly in their Manifestos, that they will
Take the Oath to the Sovereign People of Scotland AND NO OTHER
NOT take seat/s in Westminster, England
NOT take their seats in Holyrood (the English/WM-Labour construct).
Instead, be Sworn in and take their seats outwith Holyrood, in an alternative Scottish set-up, where our Scottish Parliament can and will be RECONVENED.
Perhaps we should ensure they Swear the above on Oath, prior to the Election, so that, any backtracking, will see them being held accountable.
We've gone past the time where we're able to trust politicians who've led us to dead-end after dead-end.
Shame on we, who would allow that to continue.
It's not what they say/claim
It's what they do, that counts.
Thus far, ten years after the Scottish Referendum (which was run/controlled/interfered with by WM England),
the SNP are proposing to repeat the affront and again ignore the demands/wishes of the majority of Scots
to ASK 'permission' of the Foreign English Colonialist Dictator ...
If they do affront we Scots in such a shameful, gutless, embarrassing way, that is how they'll be remembered!
That will be their legacy of failing Scotland and WE Sovereign Scots.
Again,
It's not what politicians say,
It's what politicians do that counts!
We deserve more 'than the best of a rancid, sell-out bunch'!
Can you go into more detail on what you're asking for? Direct democracy means referendums on specific issues. But what issues?
Issues chosen by a majority of MSPs? Then it'll only be issue that the government thinks it can win.
Or triggered by a petition surpassing a certain number of names? In which case how would the referendum be worded and would it be binding?
Or as a confirmatory step for a bill to become law, perhaps triggered by 20% of MSPs? That would be a regulatory check on power.