Debt-Palaces built on Sand

The phrase “full-fiscal-autonomy” has been introduced to the debate about whether the smoke or the mirrors are the best-looking part of fantasy independence. Back on the planet of harsh realities, phrases of that type can be granted just about any meaning that Wastemonster-on-Thames chooses to give them.

It is vaguely assumed by many Scots that the oilfields off our coast are obviously and inalienably Scottish. This idea is logically supported by the 1707 Act of Union. It is not so, according to United-Kingdomland-of-London.

Without the mineral resources that lie beyond our 12-mile-limit, full-fiscal-autonomy becomes fool-fiscal-autonomy. It is wrong to even discuss something that clearly implies English (as in United-Kingdomland is England) ownership of the oilfields. To accept any such deal would set us up to be (even more of) an Albania of Western Europe.

It is long past time for the SNP to come to terms with the need to extend our maritime limits. It makes legal and constitutional sense to divide the United Kingdom Continental Shelf between the two parties who signed up for the 1707 Union. Within that Union there is Scots’ Law and English Law, there should be no more room for big-bone-us-piracy. The oilfields and our territorial integrity are the rock on which we could build a federal, confederal or independent state. Anything less fails the1320-test and is not fit to be called Scotland.

We have successively sent Liberal, Tory and Socialist-lite representatives to Westminster. Every time things got worse, we felt betrayed – people voted with their feet. This time, it is to be hoped that one of our 56 representatives will turn out to be a talented (and fearless) diplomat, with steel in their teeth.

It is also to be hoped that we would see through the smoke and mirrors of the imperial media and support such an individual, should they emerge:

good Scots leader = vicious press smears

(à la Neil Kinnock, Arthur Scargill, et al)

The Norwegians wisely chose to vote for the Norwegian Constitution before they discovered their oil. Despite having a very clear democratic mandate for independence, they still had to face-down the might of the Swedish Imperial Army on their border.

Louis Mair

Mony a slip

Sir

Many nations have gained the position where they could negotiate an exit from the London Empire.

Such negotiations have proved difficult in the past. Tim pat Coogan in his biography of Micheal Collins gave an excellent and accessible account of the negotiations and machinations which led to the Irish Free State- and a civil war.

Albania and Zimbabwe are among a long list of those who have discovered the true meaning of perfidious- in London.

It would, in my humble opinion, be a mistake for the representatives of the Scottish People to agree to negotiate the detail of our future in York.

It would be a mistake to negotiate in Carlisle. Gretna lacks sufficient gravitas and that leaves only one candidate: Berwick-upon-Tweed.

It is difficult to put aside the thought patterns that come with a long period of colonial servitude.

There are perfectly reasonable, lawful and diplomatic steps that we, as a democratic nation, can take to discourage the neighbours from undue procrastination, bellicosity and mean-mindedness.

I feel sure that the team around Alex Salmond will have drawn up comprehensive plans for negotiating our reasonable share of the assets and liabilities- if we vote Yes for independence.

Louis Mair

Previously published in the Scots Independent October 2014