If the wider yes community needs a leader it is Alex Salmond and not Nicola Sturgeon – I watched the Alex Salmond closing speech to the Alba Party Conference today as I could not attend this weekend due to personal circumstances and he was impressive overall. He talked about the Scottish government’s Supreme Court action over a second referendum and said asking the court to rule on the legality of Holyrood organising its own vote was a mistaken strategy.
“If against all expectations the Scottish case was to prevail what exactly would have been won – the right to conduct a poll which the lord advocate’s own submissions rested on the argument that it would have no practical effect. “It would be a glorified opinion poll not an exercise in Scottish sovereignty.”
Mr Salmond said a better approach was to argue Scotland’s right to self-determination, which was put forward by the SNP but only as a written submission to the Supreme Court. He said Alba had commissioned its own legal opinion from a leading KC on “the real legal basis of Scotland’s right to self-determination”. Mr Salmond said this was “the case we can have ready to take to whatever court when it is required – domestic and international, and the case we shall take to the people”. (BBC)
On the impending release of Scotland’s future economy paper by the NuSNP Alex Salmond said “I thought initially that it might be an opportunity to rip up the Growth Commission but then John Swinney referred to the Growth Commission on Question Time on Thursday night. “That doesn’t augur well. When I advocated a sterling agreement back in 2014 sterling was a stable currency and we were going to be partners in the European Union. “Sterling is now an unstable currency and Brexit has happened. The world has changed.”
Alex Salmond remains head and shoulders above all of the elected politicians in Scotland. In his strategic skills, his delivery, his passion, his intellect. It is so easy to see why the establishment, aided and abetted, by people associated with the NuSNP , and as many of us suspect, the leadership, had to bring him down. He would have brought independence closer; I won’t say he would have achieved it, look at the tweets below and the NuSNP sheeple are out in force this weekend, the stupidity of those people never surprises me anymore and I don’t think any of them would even vote yes unless they are given instruction from their Colonial First Minister.
These people don’t get it, they are so blinded by their ignorant hatred of the only politician to ever take Scotland close to the end of its colonial suffering and the only politician who really did stand up for Scotland and achieve something.
I wonder how many will have to eat their words a year from now when there is no referendum, will they eat more of the magic carrot and wait until the general election if it is as late as 2024, or will they open up their eyes, and more importantly their minds to the truth of what is around them and how much they have been shafted and lied to by the NuSNP. I won’t hold my breath, it is just so sad that so many are so ignorant, Scotland the most politically educated part of the UK my arse, you’re having a laugh.
Alba MP Neale Hanvey said “I want to deliver independence for Scotland, that’s my absolute ambition. “So, whilst I’ve been on select committees, held the government to account, being smart on your feet in Westminster means nothing to people who have so little in Scotland. He is not wrong is he and it is people like Neil, and specifically, Alex Salmond the political part of YES needs, if only the carrot eating sheeple would wake up.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
“Alex Salmond remains head and shoulders above all of the elected politicians in Scotland. In his strategic skills, his delivery, his passion, his intellect. It is so easy to see why the establishment, aided and abetted, by people associated with the NuSNP , and as many of us suspect, the leadership, had to bring him down.”
Got in one there Grumpy.
When you think of guys like Salmond, Jim Sillars and Alex Neil as well as the likes of Winnie Ewing, Margo MacDonald and Margaret Bain in the past and stand them against the 108 MP/MSPs today it really is a case of giants and pygmies.
Duncanio
The standards across all the parties have fallen to abysmal lows as the role has become a career and not a vocation. It is sad as it is clear for all to see how out of depth, they all are, and it shows in the state of Scotland and the UK. I watched (H)unt today and he is meant to be a leading light, unbelievable. The NuSNP are awful now apart from one or two who appear to have some talent but the rest like Smith, Wishart, McDonald are bloody awful in the main and you wouldn’t want them negotiating anything. These people won’t lead us to independence, they will kill it.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I fail to see why anyone who calls themselves an Indy supporter who they could possibly fault Mr Salmond or the Alba Party for wanting to implement the mandates the New SNP has been given. What we have is MP’s, MSP’s and councillors who are making a living out of being tied to this union for a long as it take and if that means waiting 25-55yrs so be it the only trouble with that stupid idea then all these new MP’s, MSP’s and councillors in the future would want to secure their pensions etc as well.
I have been an SNP supporter all my life as has Mr Salmond who only started up the Alba Party to delivery Independence and the only goal has been to seek Indy 1st 2nd and 3rd this is where the trouble is, people who wanted Independence and came from the Labour party and went into the New SNP has always had other priorities other than Independence and this is why no one left in the new SNP are really bothered when or if it happens.
I’ve found if you talk to those people they never have a answer to the simple question (why does Sturgeon believe Westminster is sovereign and not Scots) so they start throwing abuse.
100%YES
Alex Salmond is head and shoulders above them all, they hate Alba because they fear AS in the main and the sheeple just believe pretty much everything they have been told about the stitch up, it will cost us the chance of independence. I do think too many Scots are cowards and ignorant about how our colonization works. They just refuse to see what has been stolen from Scotland and what little potential we still have left is brazingly stolen before our eyes and still too many Scots bury their heads in their ass. I don’t regret leaving the SNP in 2015 and I don’t vote for them now and won’t in any supposed plebiscite unless they ditch their idiotic strategy that is designed to fail all the way. They like the crumbs from the British table a bit too much, nice wage, nice pension, overseas travel and a sense of importance, bought and sold all the way.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Cast your mind back to the end of the 1990s and the impending second coming of Christ. Well, the fundamentalists did manage to wiggle out of that one, with a little difficulty initially. I’m sure the Cult of the Carrot will do the same.
What will be interesting is the leadership transition to Angus Robertson. He really doesn’t have that “feminist to his fingertips” look about him. I’d guess that the Nicola fan club will end up bitterly disappointed and we’ll see an general evaporation of the adulation. Even if someone else takes over I expect the reaction to be the same. The only question is where will they go? Maybe Nicola will invite them all over for farewell “drinks” at Bute House. If she offers apple sauce and vodka I’d caution them to think twice before accepting.
Stuart
They are in for a fall like Scottish Labour experienced. I hope the ones with some brains move to the other independence parties but who knows, Scots never seem to surprise me when it comes to their stupidity about politics. Angus Robertson will be a disaster for everyone and just open the door to the unionists potentially getting a foot hold again, enough to block independence in the longer term, they are colonised it is what they live for. The yes movement needs Alex Salmond, his strategy and intellect, I don’t agree with him on everything but at least he is intelligent unlike the rest of them in the NuSNP and their sheeple.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
As expected, Sturgeon has just run up a flag at Bute House. Scotland upon gaining independence would –
“keep using the pound sterling, until the time is right to move to a Scottish pound”.
She knows fine well that there is a huge difference between being a currency issuer, such as the UK, and a currency user, which is what her independent Scotland would be. Scotland wouldn’t control (interest rates) or issue (create) the ‘UK’ currency that it would be using. It would also set in place the conditions under which Scotland could become bankrupt since, as a currency user, it couldn’t increase the money supply when facing a financial crisis, whereas the UK as a currency issuer can and has as with Covid.
This link is as of now, but an SNP ‘independent’ Scotland continuing to use a UK currency wouldn’t be much different.
https://bylines.scot/economics/the-scottish-government-a-currency-user-versus-the-uk-government-a-currency-issuer/?fbclid=IwAR1CNWN8-66YfGOh4e6jCtwyjxRTc7-1ajvhKfOnfiKTK7bUTo3890c49Dg
It wasn’t a white flag that has just been run up at Bute House, it’s a union jack. The SNP want devolution not independence. All this independence guff from them is just setting a scene to make devolution seem more desirable or the only option later on. Or it would if the UK hadn’t financially imploded by then. But then that’s not an if, but a when.
Ian
I only watched a little of Sturgeon today and switched it off as soon as she said Scotland would use the British pound. They are sticking to the Growth Commission neo-liberal bullshit that has just brought the UK to the brink and she thinks that is a strategy. They are devolutionists at best and incompetents at worse. I don’t expect independence in my lifetime as you know and just expect Scotland to continue to get worse and worse by the day, for services to go, debt to increase until Scotland isn’t even a developing country. When you think of all of the riches that Scotland could have to build a decent society it is heart-breaking. Talk about bought and sold.
Thanks for the link and commenting.
Bruce
ALBA is growing, whatever the faithful choose to believe. Yes, it has no MPs or MSPs of its own yet, but you have to laugh, those of us who have lived long enough to see the SNP, now NuSNP, grow from no representatives to the ruling party, from being a laughing stock fantasy party to pole position, and, in no small way, thanks to the strategy and tactics of one, A. Salmond. Are these Twitter pundits actually still too young to know that history is the past and that the SNP has both a past and a history, built on the shoulders of people who knew what independence was and meant. These Twitterati pundits really need to study it from a SNP perspective. I would recommend they also read some Irish history, specifically in relation to the Irish Independence Party (IIP) and its eventual replacement by Sinn Fein because it had become too entrenched in British politics. After its fall from grace, it took only. few years to gain independence. It’s worth remembering both these things, and the wee adage that pride and viciousness come before a fall.
Lorncal
People don’t know their history at all across the board. I can’t name dates etc but at least I understand our past. Alba is not radical enough for me personally, but I will remain a member as they are our best hope, along with ISP, in many ways I prefer ISP but Alba I suspect are the more likely to make a breakthrough at some point in the near future. I don’t know how many members the party has, and I hope it is growing but either way the people involved are there for the right reasons unlike too many in the NuSNP now whose agenda is not independence in any shape or form.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
You’re absolutely right Grumpy, I think these sheeple have Nikla’s bathwater set up on an I.V Drip. I too despair at their wilful blindness. It was Albert Einstein who gave the definition of madness as ‘repeating the same action over and over and expecting a different result’. How many Mandates/opportunities have we gave Nikla/NuSNP now? Eight? Must be about that now. Not one mm closer to Indy than 2014.
moone33
I left the SNP in 2015 just after Sturgeon took over and did the power grab and haven’t voted for them since 2017. I won’t vote for them in their so-called plebiscite election either unless they abandon their stupid strategy. I have no faith in Sturgeon anyway and believe she would be happy with long term devolution, the jobs pay well, good pension and no worries for her personally. They make me sick to be honest, they abandoned their principles a long time ago. Alex Salmond is the leader the yes community needs but it won’t happen due to the ignorance and hatred of the sheeple, it doesn’t have to be that way, but it is what it is, they have cost us a real chance at independence.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
I wonder if bridges are being built, there were 3 speakers at the ALBA conference who are SNP members, they weren’t there to say anything contentious but they spoke very fairly and were warmly received. Closer to home Ayr for Indy has members from both parties, (and none), we meet together, and work together on street stalls for independence.
bushgeoff
That is a positive, I am not convinced the SNP leadership and those around them will ever be as open minded as that that is for sure. They tried to bring AS down, he may not have been the best man as he said, but when you look at the trial it is hard not to think it was an attempted Stitch up and that cost us the best thinker we had, or at least one of them. I have a lot of time for the writing of Robin Macalpine and wish the SNP would listen to him and the likes of Richard Murphy for the potential way ahead for a progressive nation but what we get is the same old ne0 liberal crap that has brought the world to its knees too many times while failing to hold those responsible to account. It is all so depressing.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Bruce I agree 100% re the SNP leadership and bridge building, and like you am certain that Mr Salmond was the subject of a concerted and contrived witch hunt actively instigated at the top of the SNP and made possible by lack of separation of powers. But the current leadership may not be around much longer which hopefully means the membership can focus on independence and work with non SNP independence supporters.
bushgeoff
I am not so sure we will see the kind of change in the SNP that many hope might happen. I also think the current crisis has also changed things but not in the way that many indy supporters think. I agree that Sturgeon won’t be around much longer no matter what she says, this time next year I would expect someone else to be leading the SNP, sadly I do agree with those who think it will Robertson and that is just the as Sturgeon, but things have changed I think, and I am going to blog about that tomorrow.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce