Just Saying...

IndyRef Facts and Thoughts

Indyref 2023 has provoked a lot of genuine outrage and ignorance. This article covers some, BUT not all of the issues.

1. Parties stand on a manifesto to offer the electorate something. If a party OR parties combined, win, on a similar mandate to do something then that something is deemed mandated by the voters. This is a long-standing parliamentary tradition in Westminster so if it's good enough for them then it's good enough for us.

2. If Scotland votes YES to end the union with England then point 1 will still apply.

3. If Scotland votes NO to end the union with England then point 1 will still apply.

4. In Scotland, politicians serve the voters. If the voters don't like what parties are offering in their manifesto then they won't win and their manifesto will be deemed not mandated. It's pretty simple.

5. In the 2021 election the SNP and the Greens stood on a manifesto to offer the people of Scotland a choice on their future. They were elected on that manifesto. The SNP polled over 47% of the vote share and were 1 seat short of an overall majority. Considering the parliamentary voting system is designed to prevent a majority, I think that's a resounding endorsement. The Greens won 8 seats. Parliament numbers for a referendum, 72 seats, against a referendum, 57.

1-5 That is democracy in action.

6. This is democracy Westminster style...
2015 : Tory manifesto pledge for an in-out EU referendum by the end of 2017
2015 : Tories win in Westminster with 36.9% vote share.  Scotland rejects the tories manifesto by sending 56 SNP MPs, 1 Tory, 1 Labour and 1 Lib-Dem.
2016 : UK has EU referendum based on a manifesto commitment, not mandated by Scotland. Did Westminster ask Holyrood for permission to hold the referendum? NO .
2016 : The UK votes to leave the EU. Scotland voted 62% remain.
2019 : Boris Johnson : "This is a critical once-in-a-generation election."
2021 : The UK officially leaves the EU
2021 : SNP manifesto pledges for an independence referendum in the first half of the term.
2021 : SNP wins in Holyrood with 47.7% vote share.
2022 : SNP announces plans to fulfil their manifesto pledge.
2022 : Opposition MPs and MSPs say NO, disrespecting the voters of Scotland.

Democracy
7. If Scotland votes NO to end the union with England, see point 1.
8. If Scotland votes YES to ending the union with England, point 1 still exists.

Myth 1 : Scotland getting independence will create a hard border between England and Scotland.
Mythbuster : This is absolute nonsense. No border posts need to be set up. They are just trying to scaremonger.
However, if at some point in the future, Scotland votes to rejoin the EU then that will be a topic for discussion at the time. By the time Scotland rejoins the EU, England will more than likely be trading with the EU and therefore have to trade with Scotland.

Myth 2 : Most of our exports are to rUK and we would lose that. Basically saying rUK won't trade with Scotland.
Mythbuster : Most of our exports are to rUK due to the current UK system. Most of Scotlands exports have to leave the UK through English ports OR have to be sent to England to be processed before being sent back here. That wouldn't happen in an independent Scotland.

Our priority in Scotland is to serve the people of Scotland.
We produce more energy than we need,
We have the potential to produce more food than we need.
We have more fresh water than we need.
What we don't use, eat or drink can be sold to anyone who wants to buy it. If rUK doesn't want it then that's up to them. I'm sure there will be a huge market for our high-quality products.

Myth 3 : How will you pay your share of the debt?
Mythbuster : Scotland never accrued the debt so can't be liable for it. England would be the continuing state and will continue to operate as it currently does with all the legal and financial obligations BUT minus the successor state, Scotland.

If Westminster borrowed money and spent some of it on Scotland then that's not our problem. Until recently, Scotland was a net contributor to the UK. That sounds selfish but it's a fact, however, IF Scotland accepts some of the debt then that will be thrashed out in any future discussions.

Myth 4 : Scotland is too poor and won't be able to fund NHS, pensions etc.
Mythbuster : This assumes that Scotland will continue to run Scotland the same way Westminster ran Scotland. If that were the case, WHY would we need to be independent? An independent Scotland will have full fiscal control, tax-raising powers and full spending powers. Generate inward investment with all the economic benefits that will bring to communities. Full control over immigration policies. Scotland has been let down over the years by successive Westminster governments and many jobs have been lost or transferred south. We can rebuild a stronger future for Scotland by creating jobs and industries here.

9. If the SNP weren't trying to deliver better services for the people of Scotland, such as mitigating Westminster policies that we didn't vote for, then they wouldn't keep getting elected. It's that simple.

With our modern, 21st-century parliament, Scotland's future can be better. It won't be easy at first, but I think of my grandson's future if we remain shackled to Westminster rule. That future looks bleak unless we break free and take back control of our future and that of future generations.

We shouldn't accept that this is as good as it gets. Ruled by parties that we never voted for, governed in another country by people who don't know or don't care about what happens to the people here. They exploit our resources and tell us to be grateful, Well NO MORE.

10. Westminster controls the purse strings and they have the power to make life hard for people here, and believe me when I say this... If Scotland votes NO this time then Holyrood will be phased out by Westminster. Scotland will become a region of England and our voice will be silenced.

They will promise us the earth again like they did in 2014 but they were empty promises. David Cameron's fake tears, the vow, the "impartial" monarchy siding with England, all the lies they told.

If you think I'm scaremongering then you may have forgotten David Cameron's speech the day after we voted NO.
David Cameron: Less than 4 minutes into his victory speech...
"But I have long believed that a crucial part missing from this national discussion is England.
We have heard the voice of Scotland - and now the millions of voices of England must also be heard.
The question of English votes for English laws – the so-called West Lothian question –requires a decisive answer"

https://youtu.be/6D3XRvxDbHM?t=276

The promises he made also turned out to be hollow for Scotland.

11. We've heard all their lies before and people fell for them.
We've heard all their promises and watched as they ripped them up.
We saw how Cameron asked the queen to “raise an eyebrow” in the campaign
We heard how she "purred" when she got the news.
We hear about the "once in a generation" commitment, which wasn't in any agreements. And let's not forget what Boris Johnson said about the 2019 general election
Boris Johnson :
"This is a critical once-in-a-generation election. I think this is one of the most important in modern times. On this election, the direction of the country depends. " So no more General Elections for 25 years folks. source : https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1214450/boris-johnson-letter-general-election-2019-tory-party-labour-jeremy-corbyn-latest

Read all the facts about 2014 "once in a generation".
http://blog.andyholtonline.com/blog6.php/once-in-a-generation-independence-referendum

12. We have to win this time. Vote for a better future for your family and for future generations. We only have to put a tick in a box to change our future.

#WhyNotScotland