The road ahead is going to be a long one for all of us – An interesting article appeared in the SNP Fanzine today that is worth a read. There are some fair points in the article that clearly show the way ahead, many of which I agree with to be fair.
Elliot Bulmer writes that whoever takes over the SNP has to do these things
The first is to lead Scotland’s devolved administration: to shape domestic policy, manage public services, develop the Scottish economy, and generally ensure that the institutions and services on which we depend are working as well as possible.
The second job is to lead the independence movement.
I have argued for a long time that the key to independence is good governance. We had that much of the time when Alex Salmond was First Minister, not perfect but it was decent within our colonial settlement. Nicola Sturgeon, with very few exceptions, in my opinion, set us back 10 years at least with terrible governance overall. A lack of strategy just added to the unionists embracing her and she couldn’t even see that she was being played all the way, being a good communicator doesn’t make you a good politician. Sturgeon was never a good politician.
I don’t agree that the job of the next leader of the SNP is to lead the independence movement at all. The SNP is the political means to a vote or whatever may have to happen, but to lead, no, those days are gone. If we are to ever gain our independence then we need to find a figurehead from within the independence movement but we need to lead ourselves, the strength of 2012 -14 was the bottom-up nature of the debate, that is what took us from 28% to 45%, the politicians lost us the referendum at the end of the day.
That has four components: (a) to convince a majority of Scots to vote for independence; (b) to put persistent pressure on the British state, while simultaneously reassuring them, so that ultimately they will acquiesce to independence; (c) to build the diplomatic case for independence, across the EU and Nato, to ensure that Scotland will be recognised and accepted into those communities, and (d) to build the institutions – based on the constitution – of the new Scottish state.
A is obvious. B, yes we should be putting persistent pressure on our colonial masters by disrupting their parliament at every opportunity and not taking part in any of its operations unless they directly affect Scotland, no more jolly’s around the world on the Defence Committee and all that crap. As far as reassuring them, I don’t think so. The British have suppressed Scotland for 400 years, enough is enough. C, We should try to build a diplomatic case and that again means ignoring the British and just doing it, stop running to the Supreme Court of the British, let the British take Scotland to court every time, and just go ahead and do it. D, yes, and again this should have been getting done years ago but Sturgeon was neither smart enough and appears to already have been bought and sold by then due to her ego, she just didn’t see it or didn’t want to.
They have to recognise that SNP is only one voice. There is a movement that’s bigger than the party, and a nation that’s bigger than the movement. It cannot say, “because you are not SNP, I have no need of you”.
I agree again, the SNP need to be told that they do not lead this cause. They are but one element of it, they are the political side and we lend them our votes, if they don’t start to do what the movement wants then we remove those votes and give them to someone who will.
The carrot eaters have got to ensure that they do not fall for the SNP pushing the Sturgeon clone Humza Yousaf, he is not liked, he is not smart, and he will not lead Scotland anywhere other than down the road of continued decline and servitude. The man is vacuous at best, bought and sold at worst. Ash Regan is clearly the best candidate if you really want independence, Forbes I suppose best of the other two.
Have a read of the article, it is worth it. But we do need to be clear though and understand that the road ahead is a long one, and a hard one, we are starting again to a huge extent due to Sturgeon and the damage she has caused. That road becomes virtually insurmountable if Yousaf becomes leader, if that happens we might as well all give and go home, accept our colonial status is here to stay.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
“Sturgeon was never a good politician.”
I disagree with that bit. That’s ALL she was – power for power’s sake, win elections, spend more time and effort to make it LOOK like you’re actually doing something when it would be easier just to actually do it. Tony Blair in a skirt and eyeliner in other words.
As for her non-political abilities… I’d put her at junior office administrator requiring constant supervision. And that’s on a good day.
I fear your 10-year setback prediction is a bit on the optimistic side. I can’t put into words how much I detest these bstrds.
Dave
That is a fair comment, I do know a few people who stuck voting SNP in spite of her as they want independence more than anything. Sturgeon did win elections, be interesting to find out how many were voting because of her and not some other reason. I haven’t voted SNP since 2017. That was a letdown too far for me and shifted to Alba as soon as they announced they were forming. I also detest what the SNP have become, they learned nothing from Scottish Labour, they embraced Brityish gold and badly let all of us down, I guess a good wage, and a decent pension is enough just like 1707.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.
If the SNP elect Humza Yousaf i’m afraid that rood will be judgment and crucifixion, judgment for the idiots who elected a man who clearly isn’t up to the job of running a country and crucifixion for the SNP.
If Kate or Ash gets the job their biggest concern is their MPs and MSPs their not trust worthy at all.
100%YES
Yousaf can’t run anything, he even did a tweet saying “I have come to Dundee to campaign or some crap” he lives here ffs. The man is a clown, failure at every level and the nursery thing was just plain badness, I haven’t heard anything good about his wife either from councilors in Dundee from all parties. It has to be Regan for me to ne any hope left.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
It seems like every single day this regime is hit by scandal, hypocrisy and broken promises.
I remember over 10 years ago the world famous Gustavo Dudomel then conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra spending a week in the Raploch estate in Stirling. When I tell people about it they think I’m bullsh1tting.
Thank goodness for the 2012 Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/20/dudamel-bolivar-sistema-raploch-bignoise
Now today I find out that Dundee council are scrapping funding for the kids.
I’m not totally blaming the council but I remember Nicola Sturgeon bringing a group of care affected kids to the SNP Conference and, with tears in her eyes promising them the world.
History is not going to be kind to these charlatans,
Andrew
Dundee, like most of Scotland, is on its knees. Down to both the colonial Government in London and the charlatans in Edinburgh. They are both equally to blame, the colonists for their perpetual austerity agenda for the poor and wealth agenda for the wealthy, throw in the incompetence of the SNP under Sturgeon and you have the perfect storm. The UK for the majority is just the poor man of Europe and soon the world at this rate, while for the wealthy it’s a play ground where they can get richer with help from the Tories. Yet people still vote no by about 50%, beggars belief for me, you have wonder what it will take to get people to wake and vote for a better future for their kids and grand kids.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Since the lady who threw “secret plan” stardust in the carrot eaters’ eyes is no longer on stage, let’s hope they will use the next 4 weeks to gather their wits and make the correct choice for Scotland – anybody but Humza but preferably Ash Regan!
Ben
I agree Regan is the best hope for independence but I would not put it past the carrot eaters to make a huge mess of the whole thing and elect Yousaf, one of the most useless politicians Holyrood has ever seen.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
It seems to me there are 3 big question marks overlying the leadership election which prevent any clear view of what is likely/probable.
How many true Independence supporters remain within the SNP?
Will Sturgeon-type gradualists/devolutionists prevail(Independence in 2050?) and elect Humza?
How reliable is a voting methodology controlled by a CEO who is being investigated by the Police for missing funds?
Ben
Most of the true indy supporters have probably left the SNP now and they are left with those who defected from Scottish Labour so mostly devolutionists. I think they want Yousaf, I think it will be Forbes just, but it needs to be Regan if we are to have any optimism of putting any sort of pressure on our colonial masters if voters stick with the SNP. Murrell I suspect will remain the invisible man for a while yet, he is out if Yousaf doesn’t win.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce