Monday, August 31, 2009

The First Day of the New Term- resolutions based on thin air?

From the BBC:
An independence referendum and minimum pricing for alcohol are among the bills to be introduced at the Scottish Parliament in the coming year.

The Scottish Government confirmed they would be among 13 bills brought forward in the SNP's third legislative session.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the people of Scotland had a democratic right to have their say on the issue of independence.

The programme will be debated by MSPs at Holyrood on Thursday.

A referendum on independence was a key SNP manifesto pledge before the 2007 Holyrood election.
I've said previously that I don't think the Unionist parties have anything to fear from such a referendum and perhaps it would be better to call Salmond's bluff on it asap but...
Ms Sturgeon said she accepted opponents of independence were in the majority at Holyrood, but said she was optimistic the bill would be passed.
...if the three other main parties are still opposed, then what on earth is that optimism based on?

2 comments:

tony said...

Well even some of the robots of new London Labour support independence and may well break the chains now that Malcolm Chisolm has rightly recieved kudos for going against their ridiculous stance re-Meghrahi.

The Lib-Dem's are all about referenda, yet they will seek to deny Scots a chance to vote on a real one. I really don't think that they will be allowed to get away with this hypocrisy from their own people. Indeed if memory serves me independence scores reasonably high for Lib-Dem voters.
The Greens and Margo McDonald should be on board.

The basic idea I think should be to kick HARD on the house of cards that is the anti independence solidarity of Lab/Lib rougues and wait for it to fall apart. It really is win win for the SNP, we get a referendum and I'm pretty sure we can win given the 'beautiful storm' about to hit us next year. Either that or we pick up yet more sickened Lib/Lab voters and get an outright majority in the next Holyrood election.

The battle needs to be fought sooner or later.

O'Neill said...

"anti independence solidarity of Lab/Lib rougues"

I think itll be very interesting indeed to see how the "Unionism" of Scottish Labour develops during a period of Conservative government, after all it was Labour not the SNP which delivered devolution.