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The Supreme Folly – ALBA Depute Leader, Kenny MacAskill MP



The Supreme Court ruling simply confirmed the supreme folly of Nicola Sturgeon's strategy. With the World Cup ongoing the closest analogy’s having your goalkeeper, in the shape of the Lord Advocate, offer a free shot into an empty net. And how the Supreme Court blootered it in.

Whatever possessed her to pursue that strategy no one knows. But a cunning plan it was not. What was worse were the lies told by her and her acolytes. A “No If’s No But’s” referendum was continually promised and patsy’s such as her Westminster Group Leader Ian Blackford assured all that every year it was coming, but next years was a certainty.

Yet they knew that was fraudulent. It’s why there were no preparations, and the sterile debate was just a ruse to galvanise support. Speak to them privately and they knew it wasn’t coming, yet publicly they continued to insist that it was.

Now they’re not just bereft of a strategy but even of a coherent line. You’d have thought lines to take would have been prepared by one of the numerous staffers they employ. But no. The new line depends on who you speak to?

Strangely the FM seems to have gone silent when usually she’s out there with everyone else confined to the shadows. Yet the senior spokespeople who are commenting are on different scripts, sometimes even contradicting each other.

That’s hardly surprising as the plebiscite election suggested by the FM as the fall back has not been thought through. Which election, how would it be contested and by whom, were all left vague and now we’re told it’ll all be resolved at a party conference next year. There must be a fair likelihood it’ll be booted into Row Z by the Westminster MPs. Other senior sources are already rubbishing calls to collapse Holyrood and force an election

So where do we go from here? Well, the SNP leadership sure as hell haven’t a clue. The historic position of the British Establishment articulated by Harold McMillan, ironically the last Tory PM to win a general election in Scotland, was that it had to be more “of the wedding ring not the handcuff.” Now it’s more “Know yer place Jock”.

A border poll available every seven years in Ireland but precluded apparently due to Scotland’s peaceful civic nationalisms perverse. If this isn’t a colony what is the status because its not a union of equals.

That’s neither acceptable nor sustainable. Whilst their Lordships may have ermine robes to keep them warm in Energy Rich Scotland folk are freezing. Brexit Britain’s economy’s tanking and its political system, as allegations of impropriety facing Lady Mone suggest, is fundamentally rotten.”

Scotland can do better than this whatever their Lordships opine.

There are steps that can be taken as this has always been a political rather than legal question, as the court advised. But that requires those with elected office to act not sit stum. Many in the SNP have kept quiet. Fearful of breaking ranks but conscious that this was a disastrous strategy.

Stifling internal democracy has not just cost individuals a price in Sturgeons New SNP, but has harmed but the raison d’etre of the Party. They now owe it to the movement to not just speak, out but take action.

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