Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Ms Sturgeon said: "If Wendy Alexander really does now support an independence referendum, clearly I and the SNP welcome her very warmly indeed.
Good, we're all agreed then, let the Scottish electorate decide and better sooner than later, the present phoney war is not doing Scotland nor the rest of the UK any favours.
But wait a minute...
"But we have to inject a note of caution here, Wendy Alexander's behaviour is erratic in the extreme."
What's Ms Alexander's present mental state got to do with the price of fish?
Do you want the referendum or not, that's the question.
"It's only a few weeks ago she said she was implacably opposed to a referendum, she's just set up a constitutional commission that expressly excludes the option of independence.
"So, who knows what her position will be this time next week, let alone in six months time."
Again, so what?
Do you want a referendum or not?
"Er, yes, but not quite yet, let's wait a few years, because...ermm...just because..."
What exactly are the Nats afraid of, surely not the democratically expressed will of the Scottish people?
Let's bring it on and as soon as possible.
10 comments:
The SNP won the May 2007 election on a manifesto commitment of a 2010 referendum. The Labour party lost the election, they do not get to dictate to the Scottish Government the timing of any such referendum.
The Labour party lost the election, they do not get to dictate to the Scottish Government the timing of any such referendum.
A minority government can only do what the majority allows them to do.
But again, I'll repeat, what are the SNP afraid of?
The SNP aren't scared of anything. But they can have the refendum when they like now, Wendy will have to support it or risk an electoral drubbing like she has never seen.
Opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament can’t lodge a bill on a subject that the Government already intends on lodging a bill on.
From Scottish Parliament Standing Orders (9.14). Given that the SNP have clearly stated their intent to bring forward a Bill on this subject in the lifetime of this Parliament, any such Members’ Bill would fall.
12. The member who lodged the final proposal obtains the right to introduce a Bill to give effect to it only if—
(a) no later than the end of the period referred to in paragraph 11—
(i) at least 18 other members have notified the Clerk of their support for the final proposal; and
(ii) the members supporting the final proposal include members of at least half of the political parties (or groups formed under Rule 5.2.2) represented in the Parliamentary Bureau; and
(b) the Executive has not given, by the end of the period referred to in paragraph 11 (or has waived its right to give, within that period), an indication under paragraph 13. [see below]
13. An indication under this paragraph is an indication, given in writing by a member of the Scottish Executive or junior Scottish Minister to the member who lodged the final proposal and to the Clerk (who shall arrange for the indication to be printed in the Business Bulletin)—
(a) that the Executive will initiate legislation, within the same session, to give effect to the final proposal; or
(b) that Her Majesty’s Government has initiated or will initiate legislation, during the current or next session of the UK Parliament, to give effect to the final proposal.
The SNP aren't scared of anything.
But they can have the refendum when they like now, Wendy will have to support it or risk an electoral drubbing like she has never seen.
Really? Then why don't they call her bluff and get the wheels in motion now?
Do you really think you'd win the referendum, if it were called tomorrow?
Regarding the procedural requirements you outlined; if I understand them correctly, if the SNP were to take Ms Alexander up on her offer(and cock a snoot at Brown simultaneously), they could bring forward the date of the referendum?
The point is Wendy can't, under Scottish Parliamentary standing orders, the Labour party don't run Scotland now, despite what they think.
The SNP wants to have the ref in 2010. They were democratically elected to do so. That's just the way it is. I know its a hard time for unionists but no teenage outburst from Wendy is going to change the SNP's manifesto. The internal (dis)workings of the Labour party don't mean a thing. The ref wasnt in thier manifesto, they have campaigned against one for 30 years, they are at thier weakest since the 1920s as is unionism, why should the SNP leadership give a hoot what they think? Whole sections of Scottish society have waited for this chance for over 300 years and Wendy is not going to have to try harder than that to throw a spanner in the works.
PS I quite like your blog. I find thinking unionists very interesting, its the apathetic stupid ones deviod of ambition or imagination i detest.
The ref wasnt in thier manifesto, they have campaigned against one for 30 years, they are at thier weakest since the 1920s as is unionism, why should the SNP leadership give a hoot what they think?
If the political concept of unionism (as opposed to its political "supporters" such as Brown, Alexander, Straw etc) is really that weak, then you'd have thought that the SNP would want to take advantage asap.
I'm reasonably sanguine about waiting until 2010, the arguments pro and contra will have remained the same, even the political landscape may not have.
Desperate times oneill eh, lol! What a silly argument. You could get a job at the daily record, such is the low heights your silly spin has soared to. Here is your hero, ROFL, Mad mental Wendy getting a new pair of drawers torn for her, hilarious. Click the top one;
http://www.holyrood.tv/library.asp?title=First%20Minister%27s%20Questions§ion=30
"What a silly argument"
I'd welcome a referendum now, I'd welcome one in 2010- what's silly about that?
There's no doubt that the SNP would prefer a referendum in 2010 because they think there will be a bigger "yes" vote then than today. Same reason why Gordon Brown didn't call an election last Autumn.
But, since 2010 was their election promise, you can't really mouth them off for waiting, even if tgheir only reason for doing so is to get a larger vote.
Think of it another way, if the SNP are right that there will be larger yes vote in 2010 than in 2008 (and it seems that Wendy Alexander thinks they're right) what happens if there was a vote tomorrow? Say that the No camp won (no sure fire thing, polls are all over the place). In two years time all those people the SNP and Wendy thought would switch from No to Yes would now want independence. But there wouldn't be another referendum for them to voice this change of opinion for 10-20 years.
Having a referendum now is no more "fair" and no more "listenin to the people" than having one in 2010.
But, since 2010 was their election promise, you can't really mouth them off for waiting, even if tgheir only reason for doing so is to get a larger vote.
For just a moment last week before the coward Brown showed his true colours again, the SNP were on the backfoot- see Sturgeon's piece in the post.
I'm happy enough to wait for 2010, if the independence option is smashed then, that's it dead for a generation... but still it would have nice to have seen have them squirm a bit longer.
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