Independence must be taken, not negotiated
And only the Scottish People can take it
This letter by Andy Anderson was published in the January 19th, 2024 edition of The National. He’s right - we cannot be expected to win our independence through a vote or negotiations. The sovereign Scottish People must take it.
In 2018, The House of Commons recognised Scotland’s Claim of Right and the sovereignty of the Scottish People to determine their own government. “This House endorses the principles of the Claim of Right for Scotland … and therefore acknowledges the sovereign right of the Scottish People to determine the form of government best suited to their needs.”
So let’s get on with it.
The decision as to whether or not Scotland becomes an independent country is one for the People in Scotland, and not one for anyone else. The stupid idea that the result of the election in Scotland can give Scotland the right to “negotiate” our independence is utter nonsense.
Scotland can’t “negotiate” for its independence, because Scotland’s right to independence is not held by an individual or any state, it is entirely a sovereign decision of the sovereign Scottish People acknowledged by the UN Charter.
Neither the SNP nor any other party can give Scotland its independence, only the People can take their independence, and they can do it best through a Constitutional Convention.
There is no doubt that if Scotland took steps to take full political and economic independence, then negotiations with our neighbours in England, Wales and Ireland would be useful and important on matters such as business and trade, but that should present no great problem.
Indeed, if at some stage such a Convention was established and used to initiate steps towards Scotland’s economic independence, we would not need to go looking for people in the UK Government to negotiate with. On the contrary, they would be up in Edinburgh anxious to negotiate with our government.
Why do I say that? England has a massive international trade deficit and Scotland does not. If world traders thought that there was a possibility that Scotland was coming out of the UK and out of Sterling, there would be a run on Sterling much worse that the Liz Truss incident, and the UK Government would be keen to get an understanding with the Scottish Government as quickly as possible. I’m sure the Scottish Government would not find the UK Government difficult to find or to negotiate with in such circumstances.
Andy Anderson
The following is a letter I sent today to the Shetland Times, in response to a piece by the Shetland & Orkney candidate, it will be in next Fridays edition.
'Devolved powers will follow independence' So says SNP hopeful Robert Leslie, (Times 19/1)
Power devolved is power retained, as the SNP should know better than anybody now.
As for his line, 'only the SNP can deliver a Scotland free from Tory rule' It's not Tory rule that Scotland needs to be free from, but Westminster rule. The raison d’être for your parties' existence, you know? An end to the 'union'
The SNP have been given 8 clear mandates over the past 9 years and have done nothing to further the cause. Your party should have dissolved the 'union' in 2016 when Westminster once again showed that they disregard Scotland at every opportunity by taking Scotland out of the EU.
As one of the many who was mugged by the SNP over the 'ringfenced fighting fund' I will never vote SNP again. Not even if they return to being an independence party, which they're not any more.
I along with a lot of others, will be marking my ballot End the Union, because it makes not one iota of difference who I vote for in a UK election, we get a unionist government.
The House of Commons 2018 resolution referred to by Leah Gunn Barrett in her introduction to Andy Anderson’s article would be fulfilled if the forthcoming Constitutional Convention were to opt for todays fully-functioning Swiss model of Direct Democracy. That would represent a complete change from existing Parliamentary Democracy to recognise Scotland’s true constitutional basis of Popular Sovereignty.
Then go for UDI no negotiation, as suggested by Andy.
The current Scottish Government could take a big step in the right direction by already voting to allow the launching of popular referendums on devolved matters where, right now, the only thing stopping them is that, until now, nobody has had the guts to try it.
The Referendums (Scotland) Act 2020 specifically permits such referendums - all it needs is a majority of MSPs voting for it when so requested in connection with another Bill.
I suggest the Scottish legal profession needs to start thinking outside the box...