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Published Date: 11 October 2008
Alex Salmond is generally regarded as an astute politician, so why does he squander the strongest card in the Nationalist hand? The failure of an independent Scotland to enter the EU is an attractive prospect to me.
Richard Lucas
Edinburgh


The full article contains 41 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 10 October 2008 8:11 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
 
1

Gdgy,

Dndy 11/10/2008 09:54:10
Salmond astuteness runs to not campaigning for a referendum to gain independence - the SNP's only policy - that he doesn't talk up the possibility that an independent Scotland would necessarily remain an EU member probably comes because he doesn't know about that or hasn't thought the policy through
2

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 11/10/2008 10:42:09
#1 Gdgy

'Salmond astuteness runs to not campaigning for a referendum to gain independence'

He is pretty sure that he would lose such a referendum. He is playing for time in the hope that, in the future, the polls will suggest to him that a referendum would result in his preferred outcome. If the polls are not favourable, he will find an excuse for postponing his 'promised' referendum. Referendums are fraudulent devices. They are called for only when those who call for them like what they expect the result to be at the particular time they are called. The outcomes of referendums are not chosen by the electorate but by those who control the timing of referendums. For this and other reasons, there is nothing 'democratic' in any laudable sense about them. They should have no part in any system of representative democracy.

In any case, if there ever were a referendum on independence, the gnats would not be content accept the result. There would be pressure to have another one and another and another in the hope that, one day, it would deliver the outcome they want. By the same token, the unionist would not accept a result that went the other way- nor should they.

3

Gdgy,

dndy 11/10/2008 13:24:26
I htink that I agree with you....Salmond is politically astute enough to know that the SNP could not win a referendum at the moment

The SNP want independence but they don't act on it!!! Becuase they know that there is not enough support for it....
The EU question is not answered...the SNP line is that the EU would not demur but no one really knows....
4

,

11/10/2008 20:33:02
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
5

James F,

East Ren 12/10/2008 15:39:48
Hugh #2

A wee bit too definitive. If a referendum went 80% in favour of nationalism your statement "the unionist would not accept a result that went the other way- nor should they." becomes indefensible.

Politics is a river. Right now it is flowing in the SNP's direction but Salmond would be foolish to call for a referendum at present.

He has put in place many popular policies which have shifted political opinion (as evidenced by the staggering result in Glasgow's Shettleston) towards independence and presumably he thinks he is capable of maintaining this progress.

Salmond and the SNP won more seats than any other party in the last Holyrood election and this gives him 4 years to impress us. If he wants to defer a referendum until he and his party have had time to show, and to show convincingly, the difference that an SNP government can make to the political process in Sotland, then quite frankly he is entitled to do so.

Btw gnats is so passe, don't you think?
6

Hugh V McLachlan,

Elderslie 12/10/2008 16:56:36
#5 James F

'If a referendum went 80% in favour of nationalism your statement "the unionist would not accept a result that went the other way- nor should they." becomes indefensible.'

I am not sure about this. If the result of a referendum were to be 80% against separation, I suspect that the separatist would not give up. They might keep quiet for a short time but we would soon enough hear the cries for another and another and yet another referendum. I would not blame any one doing this and I do not blame Mr Salmond for what he is doing. He is a politician after all.

7

James F,

East Ayr 13/10/2008 00:34:24
#6 Hugh

"He is a politician after all."

'Nuff said.

 

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