The right to choose Scottish Freedom

The article in Scotland On Sunday by Mike Russell is most welcome he writes: It is no longer tenable for any democratic party in Scotland to stand in the way of that right to choose
and as time goes by, the confused signals from other parties indicate that they, too, realise there cannot be an indefinite delay in allowing the people to have their say.

The latest example of that is the internal debate within the Scottish Liberal Democrats, who have now convened a special session at their autumn conference next week to debate the party's stance on a referendum That has come about, seemingly, because of deep disquiet in Lib Dem ranks, especially at the grass-roots level, about the position taken by the party leadership in standing against a vote of the people. It is, indeed, passing strange that a party whose very name proclaims its democratic credentials and which ordinarily favours referenda on a range of issues should have thus far proved so resolutely opposed to a referendum on Scotland's future.

As Scottish Republican Socialists we should back the wishes of two-thirds of the Scottish people to be allowed a referendum on independence. Russell also goes on to say "The London parties would do well to heed the words of Irish home rule campaigner Charles Stewart Parnell, whose observation that no-one "has the right to fix the boundary of the march of a nation" prefaced the Scottish Government's first white paper on the constitution in August 2007.

It is clear the people of Scotland want to have a choice on their future, and we intend to give them the chance to seize the benefits that only independence can bring."

Scottish Republican Socialists most welcome the SNP initiative but should warn that attempts to get the Referendum Bill passed in Holyrood could mean accepting a third option on the ballot paper of more fiscal powers from Calman Commission. Most people including the SNP leader Alex Salmond would be more comfortable with a straight choice Yes/No referendum on independence.

And here lies the dilemma of constitutional nationalism that fights as a minority government in parliament.

What is clear is the next general election to Westminster could mean the Tories find themselves without all out victory but instead a hung parliament while unlikely to have any representation in Scotland.

Interesting times certainly lie ahead in the Scottish and London parliaments in 2010. but as a true republican socialist I will not put my faith in parliamentary politics but remain true to revolutionary politics to effect real change and thus a Workers Republic.
Larry