Burning Barns

Here's the thing, though. ALBA weren't/aren't "toxic" to begin with. It's a simple trope, used in an attempt by supporters of a larger independence party, to crush another independence party which is smaller. Depending on the mood of the FM's most sycophantic followers, ALBA are either an irrelevance, or a nascent rival to be destroyed with extreme prejudice. Is that not bile being directed towards another pro-independence party? The whole charade comes across as hypocritical, in my opinion. Salmond was "good" when he was the best leader the SNP ever had. No-one really noticed, or bothered, when he was a backbencher for the SNP afterwards. Now he's somehow "bad" because NS is irritated by his presence, or something. I'd wager that the majority of people in ALBA, were SNP members at some point, prior to moving on. Also, the idea that no-one on the "Both Votes Nicola" team, has never said anything slanderous or OTT, is pretty silly and unrealistic. In-lieu of anything coming from their party during this election, apart from snapshots of the FM's face on the side of a bus, they've went fulltime on attempting to ruin ALBA through smears.

I agree, I think that if the vote was held in that timescale, we would win. Then again, I thought we'd win last time.

My question would be, how do they choose it at this point? SNP policy for decades was that if they had a majority of seats at Westminster from Scotland, that was the required mandate to begin negotiations for independence. Even British PMs acknowledged the legitimacy of this argument. In 2015, the party got 56 out of 59 of those seats. They still have a healthy majority, although reduced from 2015 standards. There's been a majority for independence at Holyrood since 2011. Yet, we're denied the right to formally vote on the matter, because of the S30 deadlock. In my opinion, the "gold standard" speech will turn out to be a more problematic statement, in the long run, than "once in a generation", which is easily refuted.

A political generation is seven years, this is the British definition. A new poll on Irish independence may take place seven years after the last one, according to the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. For us as a nation to accept being held to a different standard, would be utter lunacy.

The type of people you're describing are unlikely to vote Yes under any circumstances, in my opinion. You're basically describing the position of a dyed-in-the-wool unionist. We do urgently need independence and to not talk about it for some unfathomable reason, is not practical and does a disservice to the people who do want independence. While Scotland is subjected to a Tory-designed "recovery" from COVID, along with the effects of Brexit, are we seriously supposed to pretend that there's no alternative? How does Scotland have a recovery, when we can't implement Universal Basic Income, for example.

So, basically, your beef with ALBA, is that some people who support the party, read a blog which is authored by a guy who called you something on twitter? I struggle to see how ALBA or Alex Salmond are relevant to your rant or frustration, to be honest. ALBA are supporting the SNP on the constituency ballot. WOS, clearly is not. WOS and ALBA are not the same thing. It's like claiming The National and the SNP are the same thing. For what it's worth, I always thought the Wee Ginger Dug was more level-headed. The second part of my previous post, which you condescendingly dismissed as Trumpian, is a reference to the fact that Sturgeon called off no-one when Joanna Cherry was being sent vile stuff online.

He was an SNP backbencher at Westminster from 2015-17, were his motives dubious then? He's had this crap aimed at him for decades at this point. I just never thought I'd see the day when folk who support independence would join in with the "SalmondBad" tropes, but here we are. I don't use twitter, but from what I hear the atmosphere on there is completely toxic. Neither "side" of these debates are whiter than white.

I don’t doubt the sincerity of those within the Greens who support independence, it’s a question of how they prioritise it. Personally, I’d rather cast my vote for a party whose raison d’etre is to end the “union” and regain our place as a nation, as soon as that can possibly be achieved. The ambiguity stems from statements made by Green Party members to the effect that there are a myriad of issues they deem more important than redressing Westminster rule in Scotland. Of course, I would rather so-called soft no’s voted Green than for one of the branch offices, as the Greens are a Scottish party. We can only hope that your analysis that one day these people will eventually change their minds on independence comes to pass. You might disagree, but the reason Alex Salmond is “widely despised” as you put it, is down to decades of character assassination in the media, at levels which are only reserved for the most implacable opponents of the British state. It has pretty much become an emotional, irrational, reaction at this point. How would arguably the most capable proponent of independence being elected to Holyrood be the “biggest gift unionists have had since 2014”? Surely, the biggest gift to unionism would be to do f**k all about independence for another few years.

Does anyone know if the club got anymore away shirts in? I managed to get one when it was released, but I mind seeing on the official site towards the end of last year that they'd possibly have another batch in the new year.

Being able to criticise the FM, when deserved, is entirely healthy. Unless you prefer the kind of party where people are encouraged to bring balloons to conference, instead of ideas.

In my experience, the people who make up ALBA are seasoned campaigners for independence, many of whom were SNP stalwarts who served the party for decades.

That's great, however it doesn't change the fact that there is a sizeable unionist contingent within the Green Party base. There is no guarantee that they wouldn't enter into an electoral marriage of convenience with Labour at some point, rather than the SNP.

The Green Party is, for the most part, ambiguous towards independence. Their voters are split down the middle on the issue. ALBA will definitely treat independence as a priority, whereas I'm not convinced this would be a given with the Greens.

If you would like to see an increased majority for independence at Holyrood, at the expense of branch office shills from London-based parties, vote ALBA on the list. They do not "enliven" or "enrich" the debate, and most would be fine with Holyrood being stripped of all meaningful power. Alternatively, give the SNP your list vote. However, it will then be divided by the number of constituency wins they get in your region, achieving nothing in practice.

You're not the only one. All political regimes have some kind of shelf-life. Fourteen years in power for a party which exists to bring about radical constitutional change to Scotland, without having actually achieved it, is pushing that theory to the limit. They simply have to go for it in the lifetime of the next parliament, if they somehow contrive not to, only then would it be fair to say NS has failed Scotland.

What ALBA propose is the creation of a Scottish National Renewable Corporation, which would have a public shareholding in all major renewable projects, from which the revenues would then be reinvested back into Scottish society.

In Ayrshire/Galloway, I think the A77 proposal would have decent support, mainly in terms of making the road safer, more than anything else. The example of Ireland definitely shows the importance of ferry routes for a small European nation. There should be plans to restore the Rosyth-Zeebrugge route and others. ALBA have some decent proposals in their manifesto in relation to the Scottish National Investment Bank, such as how it could work alongside domestic industries like construction and produce, in relation to building new homes and providing free school meals.

I think that the reassurance that other strategies were being looked into, other than the S30 dead-end, along with some proactive moves towards establishing the legality of a referendum called by Holyrood, would have sufficed. An updated, post-Brexit, successor to the white paper would have been good.

ALBA have proposed making the A77 from Ayr to Stranraer a dual carriageway. I'd imagine this is with a view to trade with Europe, creating a easier route for freight between Prestwick Airport and the ferry ports at Cairnryan and Stranraer.

I've no doubt that would be exactly what they'd say. My argument would be that our COVID recovery should be tailored for the Scottish people, by Scottish elected representatives. As a "member" of the UK, that isn't currently possible. Drug policy, which is currently reserved, is constantly used as a stick to beat the Scottish Government with, by people who know fine well that it's a reserved issue. Unless the Scottish Government unilaterally adopt the drug policies of independent nation, the status quo will stay the same on that issue until we are independent. The same goes for Universal Basic Income.

I would argue that independence is urgently needed because without full control over economic, financial, welfare and taxation powers, there can be no Scottish recovery from Brexit or COVID, which is not in some part dictated to us by Westminster. The UK government definition of a political generation is seven years. It could also be argued that support for independence, without a formal referendum campaign having taken place, has hit a glass ceiling. Support rose by between 20-25% during the campaigning period.

Without the 2014 referendum, the movement wouldn't be where it is today. I agree that is Tory policies from Westminster which has shifted the polls towards Yes, because almost nothing tangible has been done to advance independence by the SNP, under the current management. At the same time, when the party had unassailable, outright, majorities in Holyrood and Westminster, they were squandered. NS unilaterally obliterated decades of policy work on ways to achieve independence by pronouncing that anything other than a S30 approved vote, with the Tory government being able to subvert the franchise, would be "illegal/wildcat". Despite the fact that our own courts had never ruled either way on the issue. I'd like nothing more than the next referendum to take place within the next two years. We're around the same age, the SNP are the only party I've ever voted for. They have it again this time on the constituency, however if they don't push for independence during this parliament, I fear they'll go the way of New Labour. There are already hints of it. Vacuous sloganeering, personality politics, forgetting the party base, sense of entitlement etc. ALBA have my list vote because I feel there's nothing to lose at this point by adding a bit more urgency to the independence debate.

I take it "Yes Da" is now SNP lingo for anyone who would like to see independence happen at some point this decade/century? The man that your ilk can't get enough of slandering during this campaign, is the only politician who ever successfully negotiated an independence referendum for Scotland. What has his successor done to advance independence since 2014?

If the SNP Westminster Group wanted to show some real courage, they'd have never went back into the "Commons" after the time they walked out.

I hope that the Panelbase ones turn out to be the more accurate.