Scottish Labour MSP Joe Fagan rules out ever backing Indyref2, proclaims The National. There is nothing shocking about this. It’s not as if Joe Fagan has a choice in the matter. He is a member of a British establishment party. As such, supporting independence or a new referendum are not options which are available to him. The British establishment has, from its perspective, a very good reason for taking the position it does. The position which is bequeathed to Joe Fagan and every other British politician. All are bound to oppose independence and a referendum. They are bound to oppose the restoration of Scotland’s independence because without Scotland, the Britain of their conceit does not exist.
They are bound to oppose a referendum only in part because they fear they would lose. That is not as great a fear as some imagine. The fact is, they can’t really lose. Or they can lose the referendum without losing Scotland. So long as the Scottish Government remains wedded to the Section 30 process, the British know their precious Union is safe. So, why not just let it happen? Allow me to explain.
So long as the Scottish Government remains wedded to the Section 30 process, the British know their precious Union is safe.
The fear of losing Scotland is well-founded. Dissolution of the Union would be a devastating blow to England-as-Britain. The extent to which England-as-Britain is a major player on the world stage derives primarily from its most prized annexed territory. So, why not lock Scotland in using a constitutional device such as Spain uses to keep Catalonia? The British are reluctant to open that Pandora’s box. They would much rather the relationship between Scotland and England-as-Britain was not subject to scrutiny. Sara Salyers has scrutinised that relationship and concluded that it rests on very shaky ground indeed.
At the same time, the British state needs to be able to claim that there is a democratic process by which Scotland can leave the UK. The British state cannot be seen to be denying that Scotland has the right of self-determination. The Section 30 process maintains the pretence of a democratic route to independence. Were the British state to permit a Section 30 referendum and lose, the pretence would end. It would quickly become clear that independence was not going to ensue from that referendum. When it didn’t, everyone would see that the Section 30 referendum was a sham.
The Section 30 process maintains the pretence of a democratic route to independence.
England-as-Britain wants to pretend that Scotland is in a voluntary Union and that we are free to leave the UK whenever we wish. They need to show that there is an existing mechanism for leaving, without which the notion of a voluntary Union collapses. So, they don’t deny that Scotland is a nation. They don’t deny that we are entitled to a referendum. Doing either would put them in conflict with international law. What they do instead is assert the authority to control access to the means and opportunity to exercise our right of self-determination.
So long as the Scottish Government concedes that authority, England-as-Britain is safe. It’s a political balancing act. The British establishment is highly adept at such balancing acts. Were the Scottish Government to challenge that asserted authority, it would evaporate. But challenging the authority of the British state requires a boldness that is woefully lacking in Scotland’s political elite.
Aye but, Peter.
While not arguing with any of what you say here, the situation is not, or should I say, is no longer static.
This balancing act has held for the 10 plus years that the devolutionist clique that has control of the SNP has been playing along.
However Salvo and Liberation have been upsetting that double act.
Now that Scotlands cause is being exposed in all its increasingly murky detail, both to the international community at the United Nations and to those voters who are increasingly paying attention here at home, the perpetual stasis of apparent inaction is coming to an end.
The British deep state has instructed the newly coronated leader of the former Labour party of Britain to begin ramping up the not very subtle 3 pronged attack on the existing constitutional settlement.
Unfortunately concurrently with that the SNP have been modifying their messaging to the public from 'vote for us for Indpendence' to 'vote for us for a chance to vote for change'
It doesn't take a genius to see that John Swinney is positioning himself and the party so that when London decides to announce that they are 'giving' us an 'opportunity' to 'make a choice' that JS and the SNP will have put themselves in a position to be able to say:
"look at the opportunity to choose that we have 'won' for you."
As has been previously discussed here at length, anything that the British state is prepared to 'offer' us would be something that we would never, never want to have.
I do not feel the need to spend the pixels going over all of that again now.
Once again we are entering into a period of maximum danger.
Most people are completely oblivious to this.
Some who should know better are in outright denial.
We need to open peoples eyes.
We need a campaign.
We may nearly have run out out of time for it, because it will take a good amount of time to explain to people, and the lazy assumption that we have until the next British General Election is utterly false.
A snap declaration could come almost at any time, depending on the prevailing political circumstances which are entirely beyond our control.
:-(
Well written piece Peter. You have identified the problem that Scotland has in our return to freedom lost in 1707.
'were the Scottish Government to CHALLENGE that asserted authority' (Ref Peter A Bell)
When was the last time the SNP challenged anything? The foreign englishman burn'em publicly denied Scotland a referendum..a few minutes into his post..so what did swiney and his gang o' rogues say..do? ..total silence.
They will cheep...'wait and see'..(we've been waiting 300years.) We must take action as those pretenders are happy to sit in their well paid sinecures and do zilch..they couldn't even save Grangemouth ..( our last oil refinery)..actually they made no attempt to save it...while the foreign english steelworks were instantly protected by the UK government. Meantime the MOD refuse to give details of American troops in Scotland. What did the SG do...silence.
The Scottish people were betrayed in 1707 by an illegal agreement that should be ripped up instead of playing these nonsensical games set up by our hostile foreign english occupiers to fob off the Jocks..you must have this % or you must get a section crap agreement. ..oh and don't forget the constitution sh*te..... finished of with screaming IT'S DEVOLVED and non of your business...they will go on producing this dross and the devious SNP will be happy to play along.
Holyrood needs a visit from her SOVEREIGN people to make their anger felt at the non stop betrayal endured by them..only 300 years!
I hope you saw the Maoris make their feelings felt in parliament when their rights were being ignored...
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XZkpr8FcErA
Scots must get up on their hind legs..toss that 1707 illegal document in the Clyde and demand action by our so called government because while the SG continue to collude with the foreign english occupiers in OUR country...we will remain a sad wee nation held in captivity forever.
For OUR Scotland and her betrayed weans.