Scots Independent
October 1995

Owned, Edited and Printed in Scotland - First Published in November 1926

SNP Surge to 30%

In the face of the most hostile Media campaign (Herald excepted) and anti-SNP hysteria from New Labour (Scotland) for many years the public verdict on the Party's Perth Conference and its performance over the summer has been delivered in a surge of support to 30 per cent, with a further 6 per cent drop in Labour's share.

SNP Party leader Alex Salmond MP commented to us on this month's System Three poll findings:-

"This dramatic shift in support from Labour to SNP illustrates the power of our 'Bravehearts and Wise Heads' campaign. The SNP are capturing the positive mood of the Scottish people, and our developing campaign on the economics of independence is filling people with confidence about Scotland's future as a self-governing nation."

"The SNP have emerged from our successful Conference buoyant and united. What the poll also illustrates is the deep distaste of the Scottish people for the smear campaign which Labour are conducting against the SNP. Labour's smears have back- fired on them, and they must now learn that there is no place in the Scottish political process for such low and dishonest tactics".

The findings are all the sweeter following the quite vindictive Conference coverage by the Labour-fan journalists of the London-owned Scottish Media. Even the doyen of the Scottish political reporting corps, Bill Clark - retired from The Herald and now guest-writing for the so-called Scottisb Daily Mail - was obliged to write the words: "The Conference was a disaster".

As someone once said: Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

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Direct Approach to US Over Nuclear Threat

SNP Environment spokesperson Ms Roseanna Cunningham MP and energy spokesperson Nicola Sturgeon have written directly to the US Secretary of State for the Environment expressing the SNP's concern at the suggestion that weapons-grade nuclear material - of US origin and currently on-site at research establishments throughout the world - should find its way to Dounreay. Ms Cunningham MP told the SI:-

"The US Government have a problem. Throughout the world, nuclear research establishments are using weapons grade nuclear material which originated in the United States. Now the US must decide what to do with it. A draft environmental impact statement has been produced. There has been extensive consultation internally in the United States - a process which has now been concluded. And one option being seriously considered is to send the material to Dounreay for reprocessing.

"That is an appalling option which would see between five and fifteen thousand rods winging their way to the North of Scotland. There is the potential if this decision is made, for a maximum of 523 shipments - that means one a week for the next ten years. To put that in context between 1958 and 1994 a total of 3200 spent foreign fuel elements were handled. That near forty year total is a fifth of what we could see coming to Dounreay over the next ten years."

"The scale of what we are facing if the Americans make this decision is colossal. That is why we have written directly to the US Secretary of State for the Environment and why the SNP is determined that this issue gets firmly placed at the very top of the Scottish political agenda."

Ms Sturgeon told us:-

"This is a decision which is of great importance to Scotland's environment but which is being made without any reference whatsoever to the wishes of the Scottish people. That is because while the US Government has carried out extensive consultation there, there has been no attempt made at consultation here."

"While the US are intent on pacifying the NIMBY attitudes in the States, Westminster politicians and Whitehall civil servants have been riding roughshod over the wishes of the Scottish people and have thrown the doors of Dounreay open wide in an astounding attempt to turn Scotland into the world's nuclear laundrette."

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Unionist Heroes - by John J G McGill

Sir, Most newspapers over the summer months carried correspondence anent the Mel Gibson epic 'Braveheart'. Many of the correspondents of Unionist persuasion claimed Wallace was as much THEIR HERO as he is to those of us who espouse Scottish Independence. How can this be when Unionists have their own heroes?

Scotland's national hero (Braveheart/Wallace) led Scotland in awesome battles for liberty and independence not for UNION. Is it not time to redress the political balance and let's hear it for the Unionists? I think the Unionist parties should have the names of their heroes published, perhaps some enterprising film maker would consider producing a film and call it FAINTHEART. I can think of other titles but doubt you would publish a string of expletives ! I have tried Scotland's national newspapers but for some reason or other there appears to be some reluctance to disclose the identity of the FAINTHEARTS, thereby denying Unionists the right to honour their heroes. Perhaps Scotland's only independent newspaper would consider publication ?

I have excluded from the list those who struggled to the last against a corrupt majority like James, the fourth Duke of Hamilton. Lord Belhaven, who on his knees and in tears cried mercy to save Mother Scotland from the perils of Union; James, the Earl of Bute who left the House in despair and disgust at his fellow Scots Parliamentarians, never to return; and of course Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun.

The Unionist heroes who took the bribes from England's Treasurer, Lord Godolphin, in return for their votes for Union in 1705 are:-

Earl of Marchmont ............................	£1104.15.7
Earl of Cromarty ..............................	£300.00.0
Lord Prestonhall ..............................	£200.00.0
Lord Ormiston..................................	£200.00.0
Duke of Montrose ...............................£200.00.0
Doke of Athole ...............................	£1000.00.0
Earl of Balcarres .............................	£500.00.0
Lord Anstruther ...............................	£300.00.0
Earl of Dunmore ...............................	£200.00.0
Stewart of Castle Stewart ......................£300.00.0
The Earl of Eglinton ..........................	£200.00.0
Lord Fraser ..................................	£4504.15.7
Lord Cessnock ..................................£50.00.0
John Campbell ..............................    £200.0.0
Earl of Forfar ...............................	£100.00.0
Sir Kenneth Mackenzie ......................	£100.00.0
Earl of Glencairn .............................	£100.00.0
Earl of Kintore ...............................	£200.00.0
Earl of Findlater ..............................£100.00.0
John Muir Provost of Ayr .......................£100.00.0
Lord Forbes ....................................£50.00.0
Earl of Seafield ...............................£490.00.0
Marquis of Tweeddale ...........................£1000.00.0
Duke of Roxburgh ...............................£500.00.0
Lord Elibank ...................................£50.00.0
Lord Banff .....................................£11.2.0
Cunningham of Eckatt ...........................£100.00.0
The Bearer of The Treaty .......................£60.00.0
Sir William Sharp ..............................£300.00.0
Coultrain Provost of Wigton ....................£25.00.0
Alexander Wedderburn ...........................£75.00.0
Lord Queensberry ...............................£12.325.00.0

Grand total paid to those who 
sold Scotland for English Gold: ................£24.945.13.2


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Scotland's Captive Media - by Colin Campbell

For seasoned observers of Scotland`s broadcasting and press Media there has been at once a familiar and yet a strange hum of activity in the air. It is familiar because it appears at identifiable periods of the UK`s political calendar - that is in the immediate run-up to General Elections - but it is strange because in all probability that election is still at least 18 months away. What we are witnessing now in our self-styled Scottish national newspapers is a discernible upward gear-change from being generally dismissive of Scottish political aspirations in any robust manifestation to being vehemently anti-Nationalist almost to the extent of paranoia. Panic in the ranks?

No reader of this SI will need further comment from me about the disgracefully warped coverage given before, during and after our Perth Conference. This parodying of even-handed reporting and comment was common to the Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday, Daily Record and by political broadcasters and commentators of BBC and Radio Scotland. What does need further investigation is the scope and extent of less expected anti-Scottish (and anti-Welsh) activity that is bubbling up simultaneously from other quarters.

There is the mysterious emergence of a self-appointed quango made up of the English Establishment's Good and Great (with its token reps of done-good Scots and Welsh) who are charged with looking into the possible consequences of devolution in both 'regions'. Their remit does not deign to consider independence as an option but it does clearly reek of an establishment plot to wreck or maim any devolution scheme that Labour, if they ever attain office, might introduce.

More openly visible is an apparent co-ordination of effort, within the BBC in particular, to escalate and broaden its anti-Nationalist rhetoric whilst making prodigious efforts to breathe fresh life into the Union and its assured English ascendancy within the British body politic. That is in all probability why, as I mentioned last month, we are seeing so many replays of war films and historical drama thirled around the concept of British/English nationalism.

David Dimbleby has just started a five-part series on Radio Four entitled 'The Disunited Kingdom'. In a half-page review in Radio Times Polly Toynbee reveals (as well as insufferable metropolitan arrogance and a quintessentially English capacity for condescension) that "Wryly Dimbleby observes the antics of the Welsh language enthusiasts, those who don't speak a word themselves but send their children to special primary schools where everything is taught in this useless language - a madness at a time when Europe beckons". She can go on: "The sentimental can imagine charming little Ruritanias in Scotland and Wales. But I doubt it. We would have a great many people preoccupied with things that don't matter much, instead of getting on with the real issues of the day". Do you get the drift of her message, you poor charming little Ruritanian reader?

Meantime, on our 'national' Radio Scotland, there is also an intriguing series going out at peak listening time on Fridays called 'A Note from the Neighbours'. So far I have heard from a French and a Dutch person each giving thumbnail sketches of their nations' historical ties with Scotland. Whilst about as historically authentic as '1066 and All That' they both ended up quite out of context with their themes, with pleas for Scotland to remain part of the UK. I wonder where Auntie Beeb found such untypically patronising continental opinion, don't you? Her reasons for procuring it are much more obvious.
Other links on the media - MediaWatch
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