SNP, The Manifesto And The Day Job

OK so now that the euphoria over the SNP manifesto has died down, I would like to get my two bits worth in. Firstly, let me say that a standing ovation before people had even heard what was contained in the manifesto is not healthy as it gives the impression that these people were about to accept whatever was contained in the manifesto unquestioningly.

As to the manifesto itself, it was abysmal, the document and introduction was detailed only in as much as it was a regurgitation of existing policies mixed in with a good sprinkling of devolved issues together with un-costed policies.

None of the main Westminster related issues are ever likely to be implemented because the SNP will not form a Westminster government. Now I qualify that statement by saying that at the time this manifesto was formed, the polls were not reflecting the Tory melt down that is apparent now together with the rise in popularity of Jeremy corbin, so there is now a slim possibility that the SNP could act as king maker in a hung parliament.

As to the manifesto and the sole purpose of the SNP, (which is to gain independence for Scotland) the manifesto puts independence actualy further away as it now seems the policy of the SNP to wait until Brexit negotiations have been completed and not within the period, Autumn 2018 to Spring 2019, which was the latest SNP policy until the release of the manifesto. Anyone who believes that Brexit negotiations will be completed within two years is delusional.

The SNP have a problem in as much as they are trying to be all things to all people and it is not working. They say they (as the Scottish government) are governing for all. Well that is an intrinsic impossibility. You cannot govern for all. You govern according to your party constitution (which is there for everyone to see) together with the manifesto you produce in the run up to the election you gain power in. You have a duty to CONSIDER everyone but that is completely different from governing for everyone.

The SNP have been the beneficiaries of the actions ( or inaction’s) of other parties in the independence equation and they have ridden the crest of the wave generated by the people of Scotland who were disappointed by the result in the independence referendum in 2014. I think it is fair to say that not a single person who voted for them in all the elections since 2014 would not have realised that their vote could result in independence for Scotland. The SNP chose to ignore this obvious fact and instead of getting on with their day job, which was attaining independence for Scotland they decided to try to be all things to all people and it has not worked because in all elections since the 2015 Westminster election they have lost ground.

There has been an awful neglect of the addressing of the issues we lost the last independence referendum on. There has been a succession of promises and half promises of a start to another independence campaign and a continual marching of the troops up to the top of the hill, only to be marched down again. There has been a succession of missed opportunities for independence , the main one being the day after the EU referendum when Theresa May hot footed it up to Scotland and persuaded Nicola Sturgeon that she would have a veto in EU negotiations. At that point Nicola was responsible for throwing away the best opportunity ever for a promised few pieces of silver.

We have had the will of the Scottish people who voted for full inclusion in the EU diluted to some tenuous attachment to the single market or worse still to the European economic area. Nicola Sturgeon has absolutely no mandate for this position as the people of Scotland voted for full membership of the EU with all the social and legal advantages that this confers upon us.

This manifesto is in the same category as the paper presented to the British government as a compromise document towards the end of last year. Both are road maps to unionism and can you imagine, even if there was to be some sort of attachment to the single market, and under a Tory government how this would benefit Scotland?  Anyone who thinks it would is simply delusional.

Ok now let me address where we are in the independence cause in relation to the SNP. That is quite easy, “nowhere” The basic principal of conflict is that you attack the enemy when they are weakest and never hope for a better opportunity to present itself if it means giving up a god sent situation because one thing is sure and that is that circumstance change and that is exactly what is happening now.

The Tories are in melt down and the SNP have not prepared the ground to take advantage of it. Jeremy Corbin is reaping the benefits of the present Tory difficulties and the reason he is doing this is that he has a simple strategy. He is a socialist and he has a socialist agenda. He has nailed his colours to the mast. People know what they are voting for as opposed to the SNP who are trying to all things to all people. So, Jeremy has two means of gaining votes. People know what they are voting for and the Tories are in melt down whereas the SNP can only depend on the Tory melt down as they have once again done everything to hide the word independence in their manifesto, to the point that some people are probably being confused that the referendum they mention a few times without the prefix of independence is possible another EU referendum.

My preference (as I have said in the past) would have been to go for independence on the back of a simple majority in this election. As predicted this is not going to happen, neither is the inclusion of an intention to wrest control of section 30 powers from Westminster, which would legitimise any future referendum. People are under the misapprehension that we need Westminster’s permission to hold a referendum, we don’t, we only need the agreement that the result would be accepted by the British Government.

So, where are we? well more or less where we have been since the independence referendum. We are no nearer independence than we were on the 19^th September 2014 and the reason is that the SNP have absolutely no strategic abilities. Depending on the extent of Tory meltdown I predict that once again the SNP will lose support and they will do so because of the failure to get on with their day job as I have explained. Their job is to attain independence not cower away from the press every time independence is mentioned. The governess of Scotland is a by-product of their main purpose in life. If their main purpose has changed they will have to either change their constitution or form a new party.

I for one am heartily sick of the prevarication of the SNP and I suspect I am not alone in this. The vote next Thursday will tell a tale.

Having said that , In order to keep the Tories out in Scotland and in fact in the whole of the UK. The only logical strategy according to the present and prospective seats situation is to vote SNP in Scotland and Labour in England. Any one whose main hope is eventual independence is deluding themselves by thinking of voting Labour in Scotland except in perhaps a couple of seats. In  the case of Dundee that thinking is simply delusional. In general, voting Labour in Scotland  will mean a split in the voting and that could conceivably allow Tories into seats.