Scottish Elections and British Referendums

The joke that is political union with England is typified by this story in today´s Scotsman:

'Disrespect' row flares over vote referendum

So, the idea is to try and drown out the Scottish election in a London-centric information blitz. Isn't it amazing that even those who want to push for a referendum on a new form of voting will undermine the democratic process in Scotland? People like Mike Rumbles are arguing that it will save money and people will know the difference between both votes when they get to the voting both.

What Mike and the LibDems with more interest in party gain than democracy are trying to get you to forget is that an election is about having a period where issues are considered and then decided upon by the electorate. In Scotland though there would be two debates simultatiously. The first is about deciding who is best to run the Scottish government and the second is about whether or not people want a new voting system for Westminster. One is a referedum on a single issue for the London institution and the other is an election to meditate on an array of issues and decide upon who the government will be in a Scottish institution. Both these issues demand space for debate and reflection and definately should not be run simultaniously.

Yes, having a seperate election will benefit the SNP but that's no reason to ditch another democratic process. And let's face it, it is often the case that the interests of the SNP and Scotland are one and the same.

No doubt the London parties are salivating over the prospects of squeezing the SNP in terms of media volume. Just like what happened when the BBC marginalised the governing party of Scotland at the recent London elections. All the unionist parties stand to gain and Scottish democracy is yet again a distant second in terms of priority.

Well folks, that's life in the union: Second-class citizenship! Asides from ignoring the fact that devolving power to an 'equal partner' in union is constitutional idiocy anyway.

They get away with this because the SNP are playing nice. The unionists will have their wicked way with Scotland because our national party does not like bare-knuckle politics! Where is the 'Britain is Bankrupt, Scotland is Solvent' campaign? Managing devolution and forgetting all about campaigning is costing Scotland dearly. Every day in the union means more poverty, less jobs and poorer healthcare and education. And what do we get instead? A building society power-point presentation on 'fiscal responsibility'. You see that sounds nice and board-roomy but 'independence' is a bit direct and we don´t want to frighten the children..

The unionists think they can get away with anything now and they can. The SNP is diminishing as a force which can lead public opinion let alone protect our national dignity and interest. They were given a chance and power at Holyrood went to their collective heads. Those ministerial mondeos, eh? Or whatever the trappings are these days.

And then we hear about a 'respect agenda'. Oh purleez, I never heard such patronising guff in all my life. We'll get plenty respect when we threaten to take away the oil that keeps the bankrupt British state's life support machine running. In the end, that's what politics and the union comes down to - money. In the process our nation is reduced in status and our culture trashed by big business.

Continued union means Scotland is a second-rate, tourist museum economy where our young sell short-bread to Chinese businessmen on the Royal Mile. Independence means we have a national culture supported by an economy underpinned by excellent natural resources.

That's the message the SNP needs to get out instead of pimping out Scots in return for plush Holyrood office furniture.

Where is our national movement for independence?