There is a palpable sense of disharmony within the ranks of the independence movement, as evidenced by the plea earlier this week from SNP Edinburgh East MP Tommy Sheppard for supporters to put “put aside our differences and unite”.
However, that disunity is evidenced today by one of our readers, who argues that SNP MPs have little to show for their efforts at Westminster, with, she contends, Alba making the running.
Marjorie Ellis Thompson of Edinburgh writes:
TOM Gordon's piece on Tommy Sheppard quotes him as saying: "How can we make sure this country's journey to having autonomy over its own affairs and resources does not stop after two decades of remarkable progress?"
Scotland made great strides under the leadership of Alex Salmond, who according to your columnist Rosemary Goring has too much personality ("Politicians need (some) personality", The Herald, January 8), but the last decade has been at best a holding operation. Sensible deals with health, education and rail workers have protected us from the ravages down south but we still suffer from the "allowance" handed out by the English government known as the Barnett Formula whilst billions in our energy resources go to prop up the failing UK state and we pay more to heat our homes.
Meanwhile those on the SNP benches at the Palace of Enchantments have little to show for their time there (with a few honourable exceptions), leaving Alex Salmond's Alba to make the running.
Why, for example does Neale Hanvey have to be the one persistently raising independence, and why is it Kenny MacAskill raising the closure of Grangemouth in an adjournment debate tomorrow evening?
We need a vision and a way forward and it is sadly not to be found coming from the SNP's Westminster contingent despite Stephen Flynn's improved leadership - with the numbers there the party could be making the case for independence not just at Prime Minister's Questions but at Business Questions, through Private Member's Bills, Ten Minute Rule Bills, Private Notice Questions, requests for debates under Standing Order number 10 and a myriad of other ways.
Many years ago as a lobbyist first for CND and then for the Royal College of Nursing I would travel throughout England, Scotland and Wales (and in the latter case Northern Ireland) explaining how Parliament worked and encouraging members to find out what their MPs had done or said on the issues which concerned them. We had a retired civil servant cutting up Hansard and sending excerpts to local parliamentary monitors. I also handed out the number of the Commons public information office, 0207 2194272, which remains unchanged, suggesting people ring up and ask for a printout of their MP's activities on defence or health issues.
If people really want to know what their MP has said and done about independence I would encourage them to do likewise."
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