Scottish Political News

The Labour First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell has conceded that Scotland could survive after independence. This is a remarkable about turn from Mr McConnell who has been trying desperately to pour cold water on the idea ever since he became First Minister following the political demise of Henry McLeish.

On the Scottish Television "Politics Now" show Mr McConnell said:

"The biggest problem with independence is the journey there. I think it's a debatable issue about the condition of an independent Scotland because it would depend on the kind of government that voters elected."

This is an important concession because he is the first major Labour figure to achnowledge that Independence doesn't necessarily mean doom and gloom for Scotland.

What does this do to the picture in the run up to the 2007 Scottish Parliament elections? Well it gives the Scottish National Party a major boost for a start. They are now going into the election with the main plank of their campaign effectively endorsed by one of their major opponents.

A buoyant Alex Salmond, SNP Leader commented:

"He is conceding the principle of independence. Now he is reduced to debating the process. His choices of words on the issue of independence are identical to those used by the Tories on devolution for Scotland and we now know how wrong they were."

You have to wonder what Jack McConnell was thinking. Was he even thinking at all? This is sure to upset his political masters in London and put a strain on the relationship between Scottish Labour and the UK party as a whole.

Was this a desperate gamble in the hope of persuading voters who are pro independence to vote Labour? It seems that every time he opens his mouth he helps the SNP at the moment. The elections surely can't come quick enough for him. I suspect that they can't come quick enough for the SNP either who must be eyeing the forthcoming results with some interest.

Sorry to disappoint regular readers (and others) but summer holidays loom and I won't be able to post anything to this blog until at least the 21st July!! No internet where I'm going, I'm afraid and besides its about quality of life and when you work online everyday it is refreshing to go offline, even if you shake and tremble for the first few days!

I've just been emailed about the planned march through Edinburgh on September 30th for a referendum on Scottish independence. Details are at http://www.independence1st.com/march.html

Seems a reasonable cause given that small nations seem to be doing best these days in terms of economic and quality of life indicators. Oh and there's nowhere for the politicians to hide when they're not 400 miles away!

Of course the big story of the week in Scotland has been Brown's endorsement of the next generation of nuclear weapons to replace Trident. A fundamentally immoral decision that makes no sense other than to bolster English nationalism. Nuclear weapons (on loan from the US) seem to be a virility sign. Many commentators raise the question about how exactly this helps international political developments -nukes for us but not Iran? Where's the deterrent - Al Quaeda after all was deterred from attacking the US? These weapons of mass destruction are the most blatant demonstration of hypocrisy, they should have been left to rot after the end of the cold war as a pathetic symbol of the distortion of human endeavour to serve noone but the military industrial complex. Billions of pounds diverted from health, education, food and water. Billions wasted on unstable nuclear materials packed into rockets operated by christian fundamentalists - what a safer world we'll live in.

Needless to say they'll be stored in Scotland as with Polaris and Trident. As far from the Thames estuary as possible, up where lives are expendable.

References/links:

(1) http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/politics.cfm?id=928352006
(2) http://www.sundayherald.com/56403
(3) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5104918.stm
(4) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/5105356.stm

I hope that the fine ladies who took out this insurance policy carefully checked the small print for any exclusions of damnum fatale.

After Graham Sharpe [correction] an anonymous punter, of Inverness, and Gordon Brown, of Kirkaldy, I am the third Scot to admit publicly to be supporting England.

I expect now to be chased out of town on the end of a pitchfork.

After Graham Sharpe [correction] an anonymous punter, of Inverness, and Gordon Brown, of Kirkaldy, I am the third Scot to admit publicly to be supporting England.

I expect now to be chased out of town on the end of a pitchfork.

With the Scottish Parliament election campaign hotting up for 2007 it looks as if Labour and the Conservatives may have shot themselves in the foot already. Annabel Goldie, leader of the Conservatives in Scotland has pledged that her party will prop up a minority Labour Government.

This would be a coalition in all but name. Even Brian Montieth, who was a Tory MSP until very recently has conceded that the only choice for the electorate at this election is between the status quo and the Scottish National Party.

This must be the first time we have seen such obvious polarisation along Unionist Vs Nationalist lines. The Labour Party have welcomed this pledge from the Conservatives so the choice at the elections comes down to either vote SNP or don't get any change. Given how low Jack McConnell's approval ratings are, this could amount to political suicide.

It's true that oppositions have a habit of becoming governments but the reality seems to have hit home for the Unionist parties and that is that the SNP only need to win once. Maybe this pact has actually brought it closer to happening.