by Gordon Craigie

IS IT DÉJÀ VU or Groundhog Day? For independistas like me, surely one of the most wearisome aspects of our continuing fight to restore Scotland’s independence is the absolute keich spouted by people who have no right to impose their opinion, never mind their will, on Scotland or the people of Scotland. From Tory clowns like de Pfeffel and the rest of his Lord Snooty chums we’ve come to expect, and accept, that their sense of entitlement will never change. But when previously seemingly sensible politicians like Jess Phillips start with the likes of, “I cannot see a circumstance where I would think that it would be better for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom” as part of her campaign to be the leader of the Labour party, just about the only polite response I can muster is, “Aye, right – what’s it got to do with you?”

Thankfully, and completely unexpectedly, one of her opponents, Clive Lewis, came up with something diametrically opposed when he said, “In the words of the 1989 Scottish Constitutional Convention, supported by Labour MPs, I believe ‘in the sovereign right of the Scottish people to determine the form of government best suited to their needs’. It is not for me, as an English MP for an English constituency, to dictate to Scotland what that form of government should be, and there should be no question of Labour opposing a second independence referendum if there is a mandate to hold one.” Surely no democrat, of whatever nationality or political persuasion, could dispute that view?

On Westminster’s return in January, SNP MP Angus Brendan MacNeil summed things up succinctly when responding to a Labour MP who was waxing lyrical about Scotland’s future relationship with the UK, “We can’t have any more non-Scottish MPs patronising the Scottish people – the mandate must be respected. We must have a referendum and the Scottish people must decide, not non-Scottish MPs who think this is better for Scotland, the next thing’s better for Scotland – Scotland needs to decide.” Which brings me back to the whole déjà vu thing. As the celeb love-bombing of Scotland gathered pace in the lead up to the 2014 referendum I felt compelled to pen the following piece which, sadly, is all too relevant today…