@bluebelle Covid is quite rightly at the foremost of our First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's mind but some Scots are so desperate for Indy that they put so much pressure on Nicola, the majority of us trust in her and we know Indy is still very important in achieving for her and our ScotGov but it is insane to even contemplate it when dealing with running and keeping a country safe as Nicola has achieved well. In saying that there are Indy movements that are already planning the campaign to persuade No and unsure voters as to the benefits of Independence, for Scotland it would be a return to Independence considering Scotland was Independent for thousands of years before Act of Union. Uk Gov and Boris Johnson arrogantly tell Scotland "No! I will not give you permission for another Indy Ref" which angers Scots even more because how dare he act as if we are somehow a Colony of England and not what we actually are, a Nation which was supposed to be an equal Nation to England in 1707 when Act of Union was signed. It is quite laughable as the unionist opposition parties say Nicola is obsessed about Indy and only concentrates on that yet the only ones obsessed with Indy are these unionist parties always talking about it.
She is being pulled all ways but as a strong and trusted leader any decent Scot would see her putting Covid recovery first is the right thing to do and I wish these rebel Scots would stop throwing their dummy out of pram and demanding she move on Indy now or they will leave party, in fact sadly many have left party for an awful nasty pro Indy party called Alba who was led by the bitter and twisted Alex Salmond, previous First Minister of Scotland for SNP who is hell bent in bringing Nicola down because he expected her to cover for him and stop an investigation into sex abuse against workers while in power. As a trusted First Minister, Nicola allowed the investigation to go its course and though he was found not guilty of rape, he admitted his behaviour towards female workers was inappropriate, he has targeted Nicola since by starting a new party called Alba but they got NO seats in the Scottish Election. Anyways, fun and games in Scotland but Nicola is one helleva leader who is hated by the rotten and dishonest leaders of all other parties other than Scottish Greens. She will not deviate from pushing Indy at the right time, I think legally she has to play it by book where Johnson says no to Indy Ref, he said he will take Scot Gov to court, it will then go to Supreme Court and the finale if our Indy Ref is not given, the International Court who has written in Law that all people have the right to self determine.
Not sure I will see my Nation be free with having terminal cancer but I dearly hope so. Last time we were granted a Section 30 to hold an Indy Ref, the Campaign kicked off around 2 - 2 and half years before vote and the Yes movement persuaded many to vote Yes, we started at 27% for Indy and even though we lost with 45% it shows that people can be persuaded with the factual information. This time it is difficult to gage with UKGov Prime Minister denying Scotland the right to hold another Indy Ref so we have probably the legal battle which will take several years I presume unless Johnson finally grows a brain and a heart and gives us Section 30. It is awful that the UKGov in England has so much hold on Scotland, I am sure had these wealthy elite traitors in the 1700s knew that England's Parliament would treat Scotland like a Colony then would they sell our ancestors down river then, probably, greed is the biggest evil of all. I am glad though you see it happening, I dearly hope in my lifetime x
@jeanne-mayell UK used to be out there on world stage but corruption and arrogance of this Government under Boris Johnson, the populist and their awful, isolated mess that is Brexit has harmed the UK in many places. The politicians in Conservative Government and their wealthy elite friends have stashed their wealth in tax havens rather than pay taxes they are meant to pay, EU passed a bill that tax havens no longer could shield the names of the wealthy cheats and this is when Brexit became urgent to the Conservative Government, the people of UK and world would see how many tax cheats there was all because the Conservative Government did not close a loophole allowing money to pass into tax havens and making it legal. The treatment of our EU Nationals and immigrants from elsewhere as well as refugees have been treated appallingly by majority Brexiters which are mostly in England, Scotland voted 62% to stay in EU. Brexit was won because of England and Wales unfortunately. Brexit is an ugly mess with many people suffering from it, the racism in many parts of England has chased many EU Nationals away from UK where many have lived and contributed for years. The appalling treatment of refugees and the hellholes they are living in till their case is heard is shocking, Scotland wants Immigration power in our hands because we respect and need immigrants, it is what Scotland is all about, without our immigrants our population would have dropped but Westminster are Fascists when it comes to trying to get rid of refugees.
Their Home Office thugs turned up to take away 2 of our refugees when they thought ScotGov was too busy to notice but the people of Glasgow passed message around that Home Office were removing two of their neighbours and hundreds turned up, one guy lay under the Home Office Van and the people of Glasgow refused to move or let the van move. Police Scotland took over and decided to release the 2 men. This happened just weeks ago but Home Office have dug their heels in and are determined to removed them. It is awful Jeane and it is no surprise the world looks at England now as a very unwelcome place to live and to visit and Brexit trade is a mess which is deeply harmful to our fisheries and agriculture in Scotland and small businesses, UKGov are trying to destroy Scotland's big trade with Europe and trading free tariffs with Australia will damage our UK trade, they will under cut our products killing our businesses. Johnson and these Conservatives are as evil as Donald Trump, they take lessons from each other because there are similarities. Scots worry that because we are part of UK, while UKGov are creating enemies for the UK, Scotland is lumped in but we do have a lot of support from European Nations and we know when Scotland makes that move for Independence, we have many Nations leaders and people who will be behind us especially for us to return as an Independent Scotland in EU.
The polls still suggest Conservatives under Boris Johnson are way ahead in polls for the next General Election in 2024 and that is not only worrying that Scotland will be trapped forever more under the dictatorship of a Fascist, corrupt Conservative Gov but its been story of Scotland's life, a population of over 5 million can never chose a UK Government of choice unless the 54 million people in England votes same way which has rarely happened in my 6 decades lifetime, we have endured the Conservatives cruelty for so many decades,centuries even x
I agree with you completely about Boris and the conservative government. I know Scotland absolutely hates Johnson and the Tory party, and I know there's still some of us in England who can't stand them either!
Not to derail too much, because this topic is about Scotland, but if and when Scotland does break free, I would not be surprised if England eventually becomes the 51st state for the US in the future - that's assuming the US would take us! ? But as crazy as it sounds - I wouldn't say no for them taking England if the democrats were in power still - it would be better than what the Conservatives are doing!
@luminous Our NHSs are so precious but there is such a shortage of funding denied by many Prime Ministers over the years and people have died needlessly where it is shocking that UK with its wealth, this Government should see that more than ever each NHS deserves far greater funding, ScotGov ring fences our NHS and puts in as much as they can give each year where it does not impact on other public services funding but when UKGov does not increase the 4 Nations NHS budgets it is getting harder and harder to stretch the paltry budgets but these wealthy politicians don't care because they pay for private health. This is what frustrates me about the Scots who are pro Union, if any of the London Parties branch offices in Scotland got in power in Holyrood, not one of them would keep the benefits of what SNP have given to Scots with the block grant (not really a 'block grant' more to point, our own money from the taxes we put in) which is less each year in real terms even though Tories show it as an increase. Both Labour and Tories would get rid of free uni fees, free prescriptions, free elderly personal care, the mitigations of UKGov welfare like Scottish Gov protect those who are running up debt on Bedroom Tax so they will not be evicted, this money paid by ScotGov to protect evictions goes to Treasury.
Baby Boxes would be stopped and so much more but I really don't think these adamant anti Indy voters have really thought of the many services ScotGov give to Scotland that sadly UKGov does not give to the people of England and truth is, not one of these parties would give same benefits to the people of England, it would be far easier for them to take them back from Scots so we'd start paying for uni fees, prescriptions and elderly personal care to name a few. The lies of decades of UK Govs where they led folk to believe it is England paying for these things we get free in Scotland yet it is paid out of Scotland's 'Block Grant' which is Scottish taxpayers percentage of their money back to go into ScottishGov to them give back to the Scottish people. It is Conservative Gov that is denying so much to the people of England, all these progressive things happening in Scotland, should also be happening in England, instead these Conservatives have wasted so much of British taxpayers money, like robbing our pension pot blind and giving us one of the poorest pensions in Europe. This is what SNP in power, firstly under Salmond and since 2014 under Nicola has done for Scotland, I wish those against Indy would let the penny drop if Tories or Labour ever ousted Nicola and SNP what we in Scotland would lose so their London based parties won't have to give England the same concessions. www.snp.org/record
@luminous I'm liking a lot of what Joe Biden is doing, it gives hope that UK will be rid of Johnson but like Trump it seems Johnson makes and breaks the rules and has too much control on those who are supposed to hold Prime Minister and Government to account. Nicola was hounded for many months and interrogated for 8 hours, her crime of seemingly breaking the Ministerial Code was she had stated a date of her last meeting with Salmond, it had been a few days earlier than that of which she had genuinely gotten dates mixed up, her being a busy woman...there was such a witchhunt on her from unionist politicians and supporters but also the supporters of Alex Salmond. Nicola maintained her innocence that she had not breached the Code and the unionist politicians on the committee were desperate to have her resign, she had the case looked at my an independent, well known well respected legal eagle in Ireland who having read every detail of the case and what part Nicola played and came back with a Not Guilty of breach of Ministerial Code much to the disgust of all her enemies. You then look at EVERY breach of Ministerial Code by Johnson and much of his Cabinet and they get off every time with a slap on back of wrist when in fact THEY should resign especially Johnson but he, like Trump manipulates his escape of punishment. Starmer is not the leader that will bring back Labour because real Labour is long gone, most of us grassroots Labour in Scotland left party in realisation real Labour were gone and never coming back. Starmer and the majority in the party should be stripped of the name, they should not be allowed to use it and you, the good folk in England, especially the North where real grassroots Labour thrived so long ago like in Scotland, should take the name and build real grassroots politicians from your communities like it was back in the the old days. I fear we are stuck with Johnson and these cowboy Tories because the will do all he can to stay in power regardless if its legal, he has no morals, principles or values.