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SCOTTISH FIRST MINISTER Alex Salmond will seek to set aside party politics today as he appeals to Labour voters to back independence, insisting the priority is the future of Scotland.
Speaking at his Scottish National Party’s final conference before the historic vote on 18 September, Salmond will say that all parties will be involved in negotiating the break with the United Kingdom in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote.
“This referendum is not about this party, or this first minister, or even the wider ‘Yes’ campaign,” the SNP leader will say, according to pre-released extracts of his speech.
“It’s about putting Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hand.”
The three main parties in the British parliament in London, the ruling Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, and the opposition Labour party, have shown rare unity in their campaign against independence for Scotland.
But the SNP is hoping to appeal to Labour supporters in particular to vote “Yes” later this year as the only way to secure a left-leaning government in Edinburgh.
In the 2011 elections for the Scottish parliament, the SNP won 65 seats and Labour won 38, while Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives won just 15.
The Tories also currently have just one member of parliament north of the border.
“A ‘Yes’ vote in September is not a vote for me, or for an SNP government in 2016. It’s a vote for a government in Scotland that the people of Scotland choose, pursuing policies the people of Scotland support,” Salmond will say.He will add: “That may be the SNP, it may be Labour. It may be a coalition. I tell you what it won’t be. It won’t be a government led by a party with just a single MP in Westminster.”
Opinion polls have consistently placed the ‘No’ campaign ahead, and with 158 days to go until the referendum, the SNP hopes this weekend’s conference will help boost their support.
One survey this week gave the ‘No’ camp a 10-point lead, while another conducted for the ‘Yes’ camp found 40 per cent were in favour of independence, and 45 percent against.
’Don’t vote against SNP’
Salmond opened the conference in Scotland’s oil capital of Aberdeen on Friday, urging delegates to seize “the opportunity of a lifetime” in the referendum.
The SNP is this year marking the 80th anniversary of its foundation, which it hopes to celebrate by breaking Scotland’s 300-year link with the United Kingdom.
Scotland has had a devolved government since 1998 which has control over education, health, environment and justice matters, but London still decides defence and foreign policy.
One of the SNP’s arguments for independence is that for much of its history, Scotland has been ruled by a Conservative government it did not elect.
In her conference speech on Friday, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Tories had engaged in a “moral crusade” to cut welfare as part of their austerity programme.
“For everyone out there with Labour in your heart, the message is clear. Don’t vote ‘no’ to stop the SNP. Vote Yes to reclaim the Labour party,” she said.
The SNP hopes Scotland could declare independence on 24 March 24, 2016, the 413th anniversary of the unification of the English and Scottish thrones, and the 309th anniversary of the merging of the English and Scottish parliaments.
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The Scottish Referendum has had plenty of time to prepare, if people in Scotland don’t know now what it is about now then they never will in my opinion. The challenge is enormous but the prize is freedom to belong to your own country instead of being shackled to someone elses.
Go Scotland, be brave and claim your destiny.
Your comment suggests you have watched Braveheart too many times.Scotland is not a colony despite what certain Irish peole might think.
Salmond wants to retain sterling and the Queen,it looks like the Scots wish to remain shackled to the rUK in some form.
Wow.
Scotland is not a colony…. If not, what is it?
Genuinely (Miriamism) interested to know.
A region of the UK with full political representation with a devolved local government.
It was Scottish aristocrats who who sought after a Union with England after the disatrous attempt at colonisation of Panama bankrupted Scotland.
If you think of Scotland as an English colony with a subjagated population then you are seriously deluded.
I’m not deluded. Just unsure if you are correct. Administratively, Scotland would appear to be a colony, in that it does not speak for itself internationally, otherwise I agree with your description.
Don’ t you know history al shamen, it was the Scottish King James VI who became James I of England. It was alao a Scot who started the Bank of England.
Nor does Wales or England as they along with Scotland are not recognised politcal entities.It still does not make them colonies.
This might help http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_list_of_Non-Self-Governing_Territories.
Scotland is not on the list.
It appears I know more then you.Yes James was monarch of both nations,but they still had separate laws,judiciary and parliaments.The act of union did not take place for almost another 100 years.
Paul could you not apply the same logic to England?
Scotland is not an English colony, in that it was not colonised by England.
The act of union was signed after Scotland spent almost half the countries money in an attempt to colonise in South America.
After a many many deaths from a local bug (the name escapes me) and sinking the country’s money into it, Scotland went to England and formed the union.
Scotland opted for this for economic reasons, if those economic reasons no longer exist then the question should be asked. Personally (as a scot) I’m very much on the fence as I’ve yet (after 80 years of the SNP) to see a credible plan for trade, currency, security, citizenship.
Seems more and more like the SNP are national idealists without a hell of a lot of political substance to back them up.
You spoiled the surprise, Gerbreen.
If Scotland votes to leave, Wales goes next (we can discuss whether Wales is a colony as well)… and eventually the parliament for England will be in question.
Under Labour, England had a nascent “Council for the Regions” – this was abolished when the Cameron govt came into power.
On what basis will the parliament for England come into question?
It will not happen this time round. No chance.
Nonsense. From 65% in the polls were saying NO some months ago. Now it’s neck and neck and with the NO campaign not coming up with any reasonable arguments, only scare stories. Scotland WILL vote YES!
Al Shamen has a selective view of Scottish history. It was the alien act, the threat of blockades, exports etc by the English parliament and the lure of bawbees to our noblemen after they lost not Scotland money from the Darian scheme. There were riots in Scotland to the Union and those parcel of rogues had to sign the union document elsewhere as they could have been lynched by the crowd waiting outside at the original site.
Yup, it was the Aristocracy who shackled their country to the UK London government, not the people. The people never wanted it, there was outrage, but they sat own and took it. You can look it up. It’s only natural, now that the UK is suddenly embracing democracy, that the people who never wanted to be in the position they’re in will restore their sovereignty. That’s why I’m sure the Scots will vote yes to Independance. The UK can’t survive in it’s historic form if the people have the power, because they people never wanted the UK in the first place.
A region? No, its a country in a political union with another country to form a state
Region? Dear me.
I hope the Scottish people do the right thing for Scotland and become Independent.
Surely it’s for the Scots to the side what ‘the right thing for Scotland’ is?Not Bobby commenting on the Journal.
Okay red thumb away,but explain to me why the Scots voting to remain part of the UK would be the wrong thing to do?I thought we believe in democracy and self determination.
I sometimes think it is the heart that wants to say yes but the head and reality of dealing with loss of benefits that Scotland gets from the UK wants to say no.
Same with NI … is it 9 billion a year from the UK? We couldn’t afford that level of support.
The deluded Braveheart fans on this thread don’t have their pensions in sterling either.At the end of the day this referendum will come down to simple economics.
It’s not so long ago that Mr Salmond was using Ireland as an example of how great Scotland could be by going it alone! Now there’s an irony if ever I saw one.
Salmond is a charlatan who will use whatever means is convenient and close to hand.A few years back he was extolling the virtues of the Euro and promising he would introduce to Scotland in the event of independence.Now that the Euro is a mess he is promising Scotland will retain the use of sterling.
He is all things to all people.A bit like Bertie.
The fact that the British government are against it must mean there’s something they don’t want to lose….. North sea oil!
It should come down to economics. But I wonder does the people know what it will be like. The few Scots I know are all against it (and don’t have a vote because working outside Scotland) because the future is not mapped out in any way.
North Sea oil is past peak production.The Uk is a net importer of oil.
It was always said the the average Unionist is more interested in the Half Crown than the Crown and that still holds true, its purely economic issues that will decide this.
As for Scotland being a colony, check who owns the big estates, farmland, the rivers etc and go figure.
Scots arent stupid,the threat by English polititions of all shades to place Royal navy shipping orders with yards south of the border, putting many thousands of scottish jobs at risk will no doubt have a sobering effect on those employed in Scottish shipyards, and there is no doubt in the event of a yes vote,a unilateral scottish claim to the North sea oilfields would result in them having to pay billions in compensation to the Westminister government,they would also have to re apply for EU membership which could take years, independence may be an attractive option, but they have an awfull lot to lose by voting yes.
The bottom line is YES, Scotland can afford it and has been running a surplus if you look at its contributions. Have you every wondered why London wants Scotland to stay within the Union? Considering Scotland’s full of supposedly benefit claimants, drunks etc and we don’t pay our way and we should be thankful of London?
Scotland according to the OECD would be the 14th richest Country in the World!
Cross border pension agreements exist between NI and the Republic. No issue
A yes to independence would be a real kick in the balls to the bigoted unionists and ulster scots who have been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century.
Would you think that’s a good enough reason?
Go for it Scotland, set yourselves free :)
It’s all very melodramatic
If Scotland reclaim there independence where does the union stand? What do the loyalists in the north do as the majority derive from Scotland?
It is my guess that Scotland will definitely not break with the United Kingdom. I don’t know whether they should or should not break with them, all I believe is that they won’t. I’ve lived there for quite some time and the whole “Freedom” speech is a thing of centuries ago. Scottish Love the whole United Kingdom.
Scottish love the UK? The scottish people love Scotland and the majority see themselves as Scottish more so than British.
Not up north they don’t. It seems to me that the further north you go the more and more British it gets. Your experience of Scotland was perhaps a trip to an Irish pub in Glasgow where of course it’s expected that all of them would be for Scottish independence. But elsewhere I’ve rarely come across a Scot who is Anti U-Kingdom.
Nonsense, like most English and Welsh (I can’t speak for the Northern Irish), they see themselves as both. It’s not a tricky concept, although one that non Brits seem to struggle with.
That was directed at Bobby, by the way.
Most people in England see themselves as English like myself. The majority that call themselves British are the ones that moved to Britain from many countries around the world.
Sorry for ya but the scots I know call themselves Scottish but also recognise themselves as British respectively. You may see yourself as English but your an English man who happens to be part of Britain. Therefore you are as much British as you are English and either title is applicable.
I see myself as English, with British Citizenship. Officially recorded as dual British/Irish.
Thanks to Nationality Act 1956, it would appear as though the Irish State can claim I am an Irish Citizen, and since a politician rather optimistically placed my name on the electoral register, it is probable that the State is making decisions on my behalf which ignore my citizenship.
Of course, but I still see myself as English first. The only region in the UK that see themselves as “British” first are the few in the north of Ireland.
I see myself as both English and British – most people I have met comfortably switch between the two depending on the subject.
One thing that tickles me living in Dublin is watching some contemporary Irish nationalists attempt to express themselves vicariously through the notion of Scottish independence. The big difference is, and an oddly large number of people don’t know this, is that the Scots joined the union with England and Wales willingly. There was no conquest or subjugation, so their vicarious enthusiasm is both poorly informed and misplaced. It gets worse in the UK where some English and Scottish nationalists are expressing utter ignorance of their own shared history. The facts aren’t even hard to locate.
I blame it all on brave heart spencer lol. Most of us get our history lessons from these movies and that’s as far as it goes I’m afraid to say.
Very true, Stephen. The only good thing about that daft film is the face paint. I love a bit of woad, me.
A rag of a paper but this poll along with many other polls have the same results.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1535193/Britain-wants-UK-break-up-poll-shows.html
Bobby, that poll is 8 years old – people change their opinions like the wind, and I would be interested to see what the political situation was in the UK at the time these stats were gathered.
This one is from the 2011 census. More of the same.
Ok, Bobby you win. Feel better?
What do I win? Just providing some facts. Plenty of which you can find online. All with the same results.
But these polls are not very trustworthy. Are you sure it was a poll of the whole of Scotland and not just Glasgow? :P. Still wouldn’t matter what the scots identify themselves as first, this census doesn’t determine their departure from the Kingdom.
Everyone’s a winner, Bobby, that’s the truth.
It was the 2011 census Stephen, it’s what the people think.
It’s what the people thought in 2011 – I would imagine that with the referendum now approaching, many Scots have reevaluated the details of their identity and, as Stephen said, is hardly likely to impact much on whether to remain part of the UK. The few dozy English nationalists I have the misfortune of knowing would still prefer to see the UK remain intact.
Of course Scotland won’t leave the union. Bar whiskey and shortbread they virtually export hardly anything. How do they plan to pay for the basics. NHS. Welfare. Keep their free university’s. Nah. Going nowhere.
Is that what you believe? Nothing has changed between 2006-2011. I very much doubt the Scots feel more British since the last census 2 years ago.
Why do you doubt that then, Bobby?
Peoples opinions and passions are being tested throughout Scotland at the moment as pro-independence meetings are taking place in every town and village. The polls could be wrong as the Independent mood is rising.
Hopefully not as wrong as your knowledge of English/Scottish history.You’re a disgrace Chris.
Back in 1707 it couldn’t be described as a decision by Scotland, a few greedy aristocrats decided to have union with England, the majority population at the time would have been opposed to it, but in the 18th century public opinion didn’t exactly hold water.
How do you know the majority of the population would have been opposed to it, Shane? Have you got access to some of Bobby’s polls?
Look it up, the catholic highlanders hated the thought of joining a Protestant Kingdom which had laws against Catholics, but clearly they had no say whatsoever. Even the Protestant lowlanders had mixed feelings. Look at the writings of the time.
Incorrect, the Union only survived its first 50 years by the conquest and subjugation of the Scottish Highland Gaels, something that a lot of contemporary Irish nationalists know full well.
I should have said @Spencer Millard.
Yes, we know about the clearances, Archie but I’m not sure how it relates to Irish nationalism other than people were shoved off their land. The former was an internal effort perpetrate by the Scottish aristocracy rather than by a foreign force.
The Catholic population in Scotland was minuscule, and many of them had buggered of the America after the failure of the first Jacobite Rising, which is why I queried Shane’s claim that the majority were opposed to union. The lowland Protestants were only concerned with the economic aspect, rather than having any shared nationalist sentiment with the Gaels.
~ Rule of the evening is to not type whilst drunk ~
Quite obvious you’ve no clue
Ironic considering they are the only ones in the UK not living in Britain
Thanks Scott, it’s always refreshing to learn from nationalists and their access to the truth.
Incidentally, there was an interesting documentary on the Beeb recently called:
Border Country The Story of Britains Lost Middleland
This queries the identity of the border region between Scotland and England and concluded that the us and them mentality of the nationalist is nonsense. Especially in this context anyway.
I’d be very surprised if the Cameron Government didn’t start applying serious pressure soon. So far, it has simply been rhetoric.
From an outsider looking in, the referendum is to soon and there is to much uncertainty to take the risk of voting yes. If held in a few years outcome would be different.
Hopefully a resounding yes vote will echo throughout Scotland and starts the break up of the union …… We in Ireland also need a Border Poll ASAP even on the date of 2016
Stick with Britain Scotland..We’ve made an absolute bollix of this country since since we got Independence..We should hand it back and apologise
You are a traitor, plain and simple. I’d rather die screaming than hand Ireland back to the British.
@Alex..No the people who destroyed this country time and time again for there own greedy ends are traitors..If we are incapable of running this country then someone else should do it for us..”Ahhhhh sure be grand though!!”
We didn’t hand it back to the British. We handed it to the Germans.
@ harry
Thats just an insult to those that died for irish independence, shame on you harry, so ireland is the only country to have a economic crisis, Britain’s economy never got into trouble PLEASE!!! now your just being silly.
Troika?
Sean Beinead,
You would seek to justify what FG/FF did to this country because to acknowledge that they ruined the country is treachery?
And you have the nerve to hide behind dead patriots to do that?
Ya, because the Brits never had a recession or had to rely on the IMF for support.
Oh wait…
Sinn Fein/IRA astro-turfers obviously all over this thread like a rash.The Scots voting to remain part of the UK would be a kick in the teeth/shot in the kneecap for Adams.
I wouldn’t concern myself with the delusional cohort on here that believe NI and the ROI will be reunited. They’ve had one too many rebel ballads between them.
Only the truly insane/deluded/SF/IRA supporters would wish for a united Ireland.The vast majority of the Republic’s citizens and a large majority of Northern Irish citizens would be heavily opposed to it.
Get red thumbing SF/IRA fans,but that’s the reality.
If Scotland goes it alone, there is no Union, making the Unionist cause most vulnerable.
Of course, since we can’t afford NI, I agree that at present, a united Ireland is unlikely. That is not to say that an independent NI is impossible.
Actually you’re wrong.If Scotland votes to leave the remaining UK will become the recognised successor state.The Union will remain,minus the Scots.
What would you know about what irish people think, your just an idiot, speak for yourself, no one else asked you to speak for them, plebbbbbb!!!!!
al shamen,
If Scotland goes, Wales will follow. If Wales follows then the “Union” would exist by virtue of a treaty with the Republic of Ireland. I’m not sure if the UK could be a successor state… in that it exists by virtue of the Act of Union.
The political reality of an independent Scotland would require a great deal of New Thinking by everybody on both these islands.
Your knowledge of the politcal situation in Wales is sorely lacking.The Welsh like the status quo.They barely even voted for devolution.There is no independence movement worth speaking of in Wales.
Of Course,
When offered a referendum on the Welsh Assembly, they snapped it up. Scotland has enough oil for Scotland, and Wales would have an opportunity to thank England for their power stations.
I believe there are more pandas in Scotland than conservative MP’s so one interesting facet of the debate is that Scots seem destined to be governed by the Conservatives if they don’t vote for independence – suggests that a southern English free market agenda determines much of what is presently implemented in Scotland!
As will the rest of the UK.
Look at what party Scottish MPs in Westminster are generally affiliated to. If Scotland leaves the Union, the tories would be shoe ins for God knows how long.
The Scots are a sensible people. They will vote to stay within the Union. It is in their own best interests.
And we had to fight them for 750 years to get our independence.
It’s not fair. Just not one bit fair.
A completely different scenario – have a read of British history circa. 1707 when it became British history by virtue of a mutual union.
Yes Spencer, but the union was opposed by the majority of the people especially in the highlands. It was just a few of the corrupt and powerful elite, the Parcel of Rogues, as Robert Burns called them, that were the architects. The Union ultimately destroyed a whole way of life for our Gaelic cousins in the highlands, most irish people know and/or identify and sympathise with this. That’s where people like Brian are coming from.
Do ‘most’ Irish people really identify and sympathise with that, Archie? I can’t say I’ve met many myself.
Just hope what ever the outcome that all scots will respect it.Unlike the mess they made of it here when the voted to leave the union.
Really looking forward to watching the car crash in Scotland if they vote yes. Honestly it’ll be hilarious when the begging bowl comes out.
They be damned if they do or don’t. Westminster wins either way. Stay and pay tax or leave and pay interest on an English ”loan”/bailout… Economic imperialism.
The bottom line is that it’s complex and certainly not simple as evidenced by the comments on this thread. I have just finished an Open University essay on Britishness, to wit, Evaluate the claim that Britishness is a unifying idea that links people, places and culture. It was a head wrecker to write!
Any chance of a read? It sounds interesting, Dáithí.
Scottish have their destiny in their own hands and remember the people that fought for FREEDOM in the past it is now for you the Scottish people to become independent but like Ireland be friends with the remainder of the UK
The scots are hardly slaves Ger…
Good grief, Ger. This is just silly.
Jesus Ger, you talk some amount of bullshit, typical of a man who’s part of the Free Clothes Association (who do absolutely nothing).
An independent Scotland will mean that the UK will have to find a new base for it’s Trident submarines…..Northern Ireland perhaps.
Cobh is top of the list.
Good.It would create thousands of jobs.
The British had a naval base in Lough Foyle during WW2, the German U-boat fleet surrendered there.
No they wouldn’t. They would probably just lease the existing bases from the Scots or enter some agreement with them.
The US has military based all over the world in different countries. Russia had bases in Crimea while it was in Ukraine.
That will probably their biggest income stream..
have your say