The substance

What NSP stands for

While reaction to the formation of New Scotland Party (NSP) has been predominantly positive, there are more than a few people who have received the news with considerably less enthusiasm. Generally speaking, the objections to NSP have been tragically uninformed. In fact, I don't think there has been a single negative comment that wasn't founded in proud ignorance of what NSP is and aims to be.

There was the usual nonsense about 'splitting the indy vote', of course. I really do wish people would think these things through before posting. Maybe even do a bit of reading on a topic before commenting. Uninformed or ill-informed comment and opinion is worthless. Take the

Take the following, for example.

This is just mindless knee-jerk reaction. What is offensive is not so much the fact that it is not true, but that the individual concerned undoubtedly believes it to be true on the basis of nothing more than their own dumb prejudice. There may be reasons to criticise NSP. But being anti-SNP is not one of them. We are determined not to become embroiled in this kind of partisan sniping. It is demeaning and debasing. We are 'anti-' only the British parties squatting in Scotland's parliament. We want them out. We want to end the British occupation of our parliament just as we want to end British colonisation across the whole of Scottish society.

Being fully committed to the immediate restoration of Scotland's independence, we may be critical of nominally pro-independence parties which fail to match this commitment. But criticism is not condemnation. To say that a party is getting something wrong is not an 'attack'. Calling it an 'attack' is just a way of avoiding having to address the criticism. If New Scotland Party is attacking anything at all it is failure. Why wouldn't we!?

As I say, the response from those who have at least an inkling of what New Scotland Party is about has been very positive. The party's strapline alone - Scotland's party of national liberation - lets people know that this is not 'just another indy party' as some suppose. The slogan - New party! New thinking! New Scotland! - appeals to people who have wearied of inaction on the constitutional issue. But straplines and slogans need some substance behind them. For New Scotland Party, that substance takes the form of the #ManifestoForIndependence, a concise, point-by-point plan for restoring Scotland's independence. As does the fact that our manifesto is more than mere grand rhetoric and glittering generalities. Let me take you through a stripped-back version of that manifesto.

New Scotland Party is a national and constitutional party solely focused on the issue of Scotland’s constitutional status and settlement.

The Party maintains that sovereignty lies entirely and exclusively with the people of Scotland. That the people of Scotland are sovereign is both a constitutional fact and an inviolable principle.

The Party maintains that Scotland is or is being treated as, annexed territory of England, now acting as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Party maintains that the Scottish Parliament is the true national parliament of Scotland on account of the unique democratic legitimacy it derives from the mandate of the people of Scotland.

The Party maintains that the Scottish Parliament has been usurped by the parliament of England, now acting as the parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Party maintains that the Scottish Parliament is rightly responsible for ensuring that the people of Scotland are provided with the opportunity and facility to exercise their inalienable right of self-determination.

The Party maintains that the people of Scotland are being obstructed in the exercise of their inalienable right of self-determination by a constitutional settlement which empowers the parliament of England, now acting as the parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to withhold from the Scottish Parliament the legislative competences which rightfully fall to a democratically elected national parliament.

The Party maintains that the constitutional restrictions under which Scotland labours are contrary to natural justice and in contravention of internationally recognised principles of democracy.

The Party maintains that the constitutional arrangements currently imposed on Scotland are intolerable and untenable and that only full restitution of the Scottish Parliament will satisfactorily resolve the matter.

The Party maintains that for the ends of justice to be served and principles of democracy honoured, Scotland must be once again a fully independent nation with all the powers, responsibilities, duties, and attributes that this implies.

The Party maintains that full restoration of true independence requires that to the maximum extent possible, Scotland must be detached from all UK institutions and agencies.

The Party maintains that there is no route to the restoration of Scotland's independence through the legal and constitutional framework developed by the UK under the imperative to protect and preserve the Union.

The Party maintains that there is no route to the restoration of Scotland's independence which does not pass through a point of acrimonious confrontation with the ruling elites of the British state.

The Party maintains that there is no route to the restoration of Scotland's independence which will not be denounced by the UK government as a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) and deemed 'illegal'.

The Party maintains that there is no way to restore Scotland's independence other than by the process set out in the #ManifestoForIndependence.

The Party maintains that the election manifestos of all pro-independence parties standing candidates in any Scottish Parliament election must include an identical commitment to specific action for the purpose of restoring Scotland's independence, as follows.

• Repudiate the Section 30 process as an illegitimate constraint on Scotland's right of self-determination.

• Declare one or all future Scottish Parliament elections to be a plebiscite on the question of the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament to facilitate the exercise of Scotland's right of self- determination.

• Assert the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament on the basis of its democratic legitimacy and the sovereignty of Scotland's people, citing the fact that this is the only way the people of Scotland can be enabled to exercise our human right of self-determination.

• Recall Scotland's Members of Parliament from Westminster to sit on a National Convention convened by the Scottish Parliament, with Members of the Scottish Parliament and such representatives of civic society as are deemed appropriate by the Scottish Parliament for the purpose of overseeing the drafting of a provisional Constitution for Scotland.

• Propose dissolution of the Union with England subject to approval by the Scottish Parliament and ratification by the people of Scotland in a confirmatory referendum that stands as the formal exercise by the people of Scotland of our inalienable right of self-determination.

• Hold a referendum on the question of the Union under the auspices of the Scottish Parliament and subject to oversight and management by the National Convention and such bodies as may be appointed by the Scottish Parliament.

I hope the above fills in the blanks for those who are perhaps 'NSP-curious' but not yet fully on board. We purposefully are not signing-up members right now because we want people to know what they're getting into before becoming members.

I'd like also to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have generously tossed us some cash to help with start-up costs since we opened up donations through paypal.me/newscotlandparty. It all helps.