So here is another part of my thinking the last couple of days. The list is not exhaustive in any shape or form, please feel free to add what you feel the priorities are moving forward.
The Alba Party – There is a need for clear water between the Alba Party and the Scottish National Party. No more advocating any vote for any other party other than the Alba Party. While it was honourable and laudable to ask people to vote SNP last year, although it was never for me so I didn’t, and again there was encouragement to vote for independence supporting parties after Alba in the elections last week, it is time for that policy or advice to be gone. Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP spent more time trying to fix the vote last week and attacking Alba than concentrating on what is actually important right now. We also do need to educate people as to our voting system sadly, but how they vote is up to them.
Alba need to seriously consider having a policy that says every election is a plebiscite election going forward, no Section 30 acceptance that implies we are not in control of our own futures and that we need permission from voters in another country to decide our own future. Alba need to have a presence on the streets when possible, and in our communities, we need to highlight the failures of our current situation but not just poverty or the cost of living crisis which we have little or no control over but issues we do like the state of our towns and cities, pot holes, waiting lists, education etc. The bread and butter issues are all important and they all highlight the failure of the Scottish Government.
We need to probably focus less to a degree on the SNP and Nicola Sturgeon, Sturgeon will be the past soon enough and the issues within the SNP is for their members to sort out. We need to focus on the Alba Party and how things in our communities can be better, can be run better, can be managed better, and can be financed more effectively from our pocket money while being clear that we can only do so much more if we controlled our own affairs and had ambition. As I said yesterday the key for myself in so many ways is returning to the good governance of 2007-14 where there were successes.
The Scottish Government – while I understand why Alex Salmond made this change from Scottish Executive the simple fact is we do not have a Government in Scotland we do in fact have a Scottish Executive. It might seem silly and petty but until we control all of our own affairs do we have a Government? Are the current SNP/Green coalition a Government? They administer badly on the whim of a Government elected by voters in another country, they are an Executive and are even poor at that so from now on I am calling them that, the Scottish Executive. Does the idea that we have Government in Scotland give the excuse that this is as good as it gets?
Devolution – NOUN – the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration. Too many powers are still devolved, and while we should never ever settle for devolution as an end we need to constantly be arguing for powers to be returned to Scotland in between. Areas like immigration can be exclusive within Scotland, employment law, financial services, the minimum wage, energy, social security, the civil service, trade should not be left to the whim of a Government in what is effectively another country where we have little to no say and no power. A new campaign needs to be launched that keeps these issues to the fore, to demonstrate to the people in Scotland that we don’t have a Government we have a regional Executive. How many times have Westminster ignored the Memorandum of Understanding, the Joint Ministerial Committee, the so called Sewell Convention, power devolved is power retained and exploited.
Been having a discussion with Terry via the blog. Terry understands that there are many legal arguments against many of the methods I support in trying to gain our independence and I won’t pretend to have Terry’s knowledge of the legal implications, but for myself when every avenue is denied, or we suspect, will be denied in our pursuit of independence then what do we do, where do we go. Do we accept the state of affairs that is a union that is 300 years old and was signed by people at a time when democracy was a philosophy and denied the people. If our only avenue to independence relies on the whims of Westminster then we might as well all give up and go home.
If the Scottish people are truly sovereign then a vote for a majority of elected reps in a plebiscite election should be all we need to begin the process of independence irrespective of the law of the UK which will never ever recognise the rights of Scots to choose unless they feel they are guaranteed a win.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
Bruce, I tend to agree with you in what you have said, and it is very very depressing. I’m in my seventies now and once had a lot of hope that I would see my country independent before I shuffled off this mortal coil. I have no such illusions now, it’s gutting, but it’s not going to happen, unless I manage to hing oan tae I’m aboot 100.
Where we go from here I don’t know, I sincerely wish I did. The way things are going it’s hard to motivate some people to even be interested. The elections were for local councils, the main concern that came top of folks list of problems was potholes. I hear on Border news this morning, that Northern Ireland hauliers are looking to find other ways to bring their lorries over, so concerned are they with the state of the A75. They’re not far wrong and that’s supposed to be the main Euroroute. It’s appalling the state the country is in.
I don’t think that there’ll be a referendum in 2023, I don’t want one. It will be engineered that we lose it. But I will tell you what terrifies me more, is the thought that we we would win it under the current NuSNP/Green government that we have now. Jeez oh, I cannae imagine anything worse, even if Sturgeon is not there, there that big useless lump Robertson waiting in the wings. Yuk, no thanks.
I will never ever vote for the SNP until there is a massive clearout of all of them, and that includes the nodding donkeys who sit on their hands and do nothing. One good solid independence party is required. Forget all of the wee differences between them just now, get together for Scotlands sake PLEASE. The movement hasn’t gone away, we’re just waiting for someone with the ability to step up, someone we can all believe in and get behind..
Referendum, no thanks, but we need to be careful what we wish for.
Carol
I agree, I haven’t given up on independence, I just don’t believe I will see it in my lifetime either anymore. I don’t see there being a referendum next year and even if the SNP actually pass a bill, it will go to the courts even though that will just be yet another mistake in a long list under Sturgeon, it will drag into 24 then GE and we are back to square one and Sturgeon knows it. She has been playing games since she came to lead the party and decided that gender was more important than good governance or independence, she is the worst First Minster we have ever had, surrounded by the dregs that Scottish Labour would say were low standard. I really do believe we have to go back to basics because like you I don’t believe we can win in any shape or form, not just any worries about Westminster and dodgy dealing but the record of Sturgeon and the SNP Government which has all but made Scotland a banana republic with services to match, that is not down to staff or even local councils, but down to the under funding of local government by the SNP. I never thought I would see the day that I would despise the SNP as much as the unionists but I do.
Thanks for commenting and taking the time to read the blog.
Bruce
My thanks to Mr G.S.M., and your closing chapter is simple and clear; a rare thing nowadays! I selectively quote you: “Scottish people are truly sovereign, then a vote for a majority of elected reps in a plebiscite election should be all we need to begin the process of independence!”
After all, Scottish Royalty ceded its sovereignty to Scotland’s people; in England, their people believe that the London government is a sovereign parliament… different nations and different peoples! The so-called UK lends the same initials to the statement “Unrealistic Kingdom”; indeed. if we choose to be the ‘Republic of Scotland’, that’s more likely to appeal to Scots than being London’s colony! “Saorsa” is Scottish Gaelic for ‘freedom, liberty and/or redemption’ and that’s a POWERFUL word!
Ewen
Thanks, you are too kind. I always just express my opinion and won’t pretend to have the knowledge or understanding of commenters like Terry and whom I welcome to the blog to share their knowledge and opinion. It is simple for me, we are either sovereign or we are not, if Scotland voted for independence in a plebiscite and the world failed to recognise that then the world is not a democratic structure in the main and we are all serfs everywhere. For us to achieve that independence though I really feel we have to get back to basics and work on the bread and butter issues, the things that people see around them and in front of them, if we can’t show that we can the small things right then how in hell do we convince them that we govern the whole country without the ‘alleged’ safety net of the UK that many believe it to be due to their ignorance or their denial.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Lease be careful, Bruce, as you risk being too charming! (if there’s such an affliction? 😉 ~ Anyway, keep doing what you’re doing, otherwise, we’ll act like London’s colony!
Capitalise on events, something the SNP executive has failed to do since 2015.
What was it, events dear boy events.
Ending this union, would require all the levers of state in place before hand
Oven ready, so to speak, nothing is on place.
Executive! Mmm, middle managers more like.
ALBA has to plough on , with its own furrows, separate and distinct with a vibrancy, ignore Westminster at every turn .
Look how well SF has done and how far, refusing to be in Westminster.
Only held back by all the unionist parties, especially the ultra DUP using the
NI protocols as an excuse, not to allow SF having the ball.
After all , of it was a unified Ireland, who needs English f—–ked up protocols?
SF politics is moving along nicely, albeit slowly, with the hinderences of the English.
I call it the SF shoehorn, unification is staring the unionists in the face, and they are being dragged to it.
The English puppets and their Yankee bosses are slipping into a failure, which might be the end for them.
If it happens it is going to be painfull for all, which could be seismic.
Events,
Onwards and upwards
🐼🐼🏴🏴
Ambouche
Alba needs clear water between it and the SNP and right now it is too similar and I really hope the party is living in hope that it can take advantage of the failures of the SNP. It may get some new members if the SNP fail to deliver next year but that won’t be enough and Alba need to be clear on the path it would support and what it plans to do locally or it will continue to struggle. I also think that longer term AS needs to move up to President of the Party and new leader put in place for the longer term, it is not AS fault the establishment were able to not destroy him but certainly to neutralise him as a politician, some day the truth might come out but the simple fact is we need to move forward at some point and that won’t be led by AS or even Sturgeon.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Now is the time to set up teams throughout Scotland purely to register voters so when the time comes we are ready. They should be big enough when some are resting others are out. They can be from all parties and none. We need to engage again and this would be one of the ways. More than likely people will be struggling each day with survival, but they also need hope for a future.
James
It’s a good idea as they do say that a lot of people are not registered to vote in the schemes. We certainly need to be planning but when people are not convinced there will be a referendum under the SNP it is difficult. There needs to be a date for the legislation in Holyrood and I don’t get the hold up to be honest other than fear.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
What Alba needs to do moving forward is to get rid of their learned behaviours. It is not good enough to just claim big bad English government and its establishment won’t let me… Scotland is a sovereign nation state in an international Agreement. It is legally an equal partner with equal authority to the treaty. Its status as an equal partner is not reliant upon MP, population nor voting numbers. It is because Scotland is a signatory to the treaty. A treaty that recognises and upholds both states independence and sovereignty. The treaty does not have the authority to abolish any other treaty, covenant, declaration that pertains to Scotland. The English government and its establishment though not required have stated repeatedly that they recognise and uphold Scots sovereignty. They even stated in a paper discussing what form of independence Scotland may take that Scotland IS independent WITHIN GB.
Alba must stop treating Scots as though they are not. They must stop treating England as sole authority to the treaty. They must stop treating English conventions as sacrosanct. And they sure as hell must stop treating Scotland as though it is inferior to England. These are learned behaviours that they have brought from SNP and previous time in office over to Alba. Scots are the SUPREME authority in and over Scotland. They cannot be superceded by the authority of a foreign country. Yes, Alba are passionate and have strong convictions but unless they start viewing Scotland as having supreme authority it is all in vain. It is the mistake of previous generations to hold England as having dominion but a new party that will attract fresh blood needs to be convincing of its belief not merely going through the same motions by doing the exact same thing every other party has done and is doing. They need to be unapologetically pro-Scots sovereignty. And when in the binary parliament of GB they need to address the Scottish government NOT the English not just in the tiny alloted time given but at all times. There is no Government of GB within the treaty despite there being a parliament. Time they reminded both governments who the Scots are and the true nature of the treaty. In short Alba need to step outside the box, recognise Scotland’s true status and assert it’s authority at all times. If a challenge is encountered then meet it head on. Scotland will always be held in contempt and taken advantage of if its own representatives fail to assert their own authority.
Gayle
I have nothing I can add as I agree with you 100% do hopefully others will read your comments.
Thanks you very much for the information and insight.
Bruce
With regard to Scotland and whether it has a Scottish government, yes it does. The Executive is merely the ADMINISTRATION which is devolved from the Scottish government which sits in the parliament of GB as they are legally required to do as per the terms of the treaty. That is why they were roundly mocked when they walked out only to go crawling back in with their tails between their legs.
The problem is that folk wrongly believe that the English government is the government of GB because it refers to itself as the “UK” Government and the Scottish government do not bother to correct the record. Due to the first error and the Scottish government renaming its administration a compounded error is made where Scots believe the administration is the actual Scots government and thus a further error occurs due to this misunderstanding whereby Scots believe they need a foreign country’s governmental approval.
The most basic question should be asked. From whom is the government devolved? This should be a starting point and then look at the principal and the treaty.
One must also keep in mind that just because one acts a certain way does not mean it is legally or lawfully sound.