SNP NORTH AMERICAN NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Issue 22, February 2000

NOTE-- due to regulations set by the Labour party in London

ACADEMIC SURVEY SHOWS "SCOTLAND IN INDEPENDENCE PROCESS"

Details of a wide-ranging academic survey on Scottish social and political attitudes have revealed that two-thirds of Scots want the Scottish Parliament to have more powers, and that 74% of Scots believe that the Parliament will have a greater influence over their lives than Westminster - only 13% thought that Westminster would have a greater influence.

It also shows that just 10% didn't want the Parliament to be set up - down from 25% last summer; and it shows that 77% of Scots choose Scottish identity, with 17% who choose British identity.

Commenting on the survey's findings Andrew Wilson MSP said:

"This is an interesting and extremely positive survey for the SNP and Scotland. The new Scottish Parliament is overshadowing Westminster, with 74% of Scots believing it to be the most important institution.

"It shows that constitutional change is a process, not an event, with two-thirds of Scots wanting to grow the powers of the Scottish Parliament. It confirms that Scotland is in an Independence process, heading towards normality in Europe.

"Opposition to the Parliament has shrunk away, as Scots want to move the Parliament forward and Scottish identity is at an all-time high, which reinforces the process of constitutional change."


FURTHER SURVEY SHOWS CORE VOTERS DESERTING NEW LABOUR

A further academic survey by the Scottish Parliamentary Election Study show that support for New Labour among their core working class vote plummeted by 16 points between the 1997 and 1999 elections, and that just 51% of those surveyed in 1999 thought that New Labour looks after working class people, compared to 90% in 1997.

While just 51% of respondents in the survey think that New Labour look after the interests of working class people, the comparable figure for the SNP is 63%.

Responding on the results the Scottish National Party's Deputy Leader Mr John Swinney MSP said:

"This is the price that New Labour are paying for ditching the values of 'Mainstream Scotland', in favour of a right-wing, 'Middle England' agenda.

"New Labour are a London-based party and Mark-II Tory party - both factors are causing their support to plummet among former core voters in Scotland.

"In the second Scottish Parliament vote last year, Labour fell to their lowest percentage in a Scottish election since 1931. And in the European elections, Labour recorded their lowest share of the vote in Scotland since 1918!

"Labour are in a process of decline in Scotland, and the beneficiaries of the new Scottish democracy are the SNP. Unlike London Labour, the SNP put the needs of 'Mainstream Scotland' at the heart of our policies, based upon the twin Scottish principles of enterprise and compassion.

"The SNP's position is strengthened by this survey, which stands us in extremely good stead as we prepare to launch the Ayr by-election campaign."


TARTAN DAY PLANS

Between April 6th and April 9th, 2000, in Washington DC, members of the Scottish parliament, including several SNP MSPs, will attend several events to celebrate thenational holiday introduced last year by Senate Resolution 155 to commemorate the contributions that Scots and Scot-Americans have made to the growth and development of America. These events include a formal ceremony on the steps of the Capitol, which is open to the public, an academic forum at the Smithsonian with Scotland's distinguished academics from the Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow debating Scotland's contributions to science, the arts, moral philosophy, education, etc (which will be broadcast nationally) and a downtown gala festival and ceilidh. For more details, contact SNP's rep in the US, Alison Duncan at amduncan@worldnet.att.net


SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT SUBJECT TO LAW

Commenting on the ruling by Lord Rodger on the 16th of February in which he said that the Scottish Parliament "is subject to the laws and hence the courts", the Shadow Justice & Equality Minister Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP said:

"It is Westminster that stands out internationally by appearing to be above the law, due to the very un-Scottish doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty, as opposed to the sovereignty of the people. And even that anomalous Westminster position is changing - as Lord Rodger notes - through the incorporation of European Union law into the UK.

"One clear expression of the sovereignty of the people would be to enshrine rights and responsibilities within the overall framework of a written Constitution and Bill of Rights. We do not have these benefits in Scotland or indeed in the UK.

"An independent Scottish Parliament would meet these basic democratic standards."


SNP VICTORY INEVITABLE CLAIMS SENIOR LABOUR MSP

A senior Labour backbencher, John McAllion MSP, has said that an SNP victory is inevitable and that independence will arrive with SNP control of Holyrood. Commenting on Mr McAllion's statement the Leader of the Opposition Mr Alex Salmond MSP said:

"John McAllion's sensational remarks are deeply embarrassing for New Labour. This well respected senior Labour backbencher has voiced his belief that Scotland is moving towards independence and that the SNP will form the Government in Scotland. John McAllion is simply publicly voicing what many Labour Ministers and backbenchers believe privately - that Scotland is in the process of independence.

"In his commentary, John McAllion attacks the financial deficiencies of the devolution framework by stating 'Until we get proper tax raising powers we can't be called a parliament.' Mr McAllion's frank admission that devolution should be seen as a process rather than an end in itself will come as a major blow to Donald Dewar.

"Donald Dewar's administration is in chaos with special advisers being sacked and forced to resign, the bitter turf war continuing against John Reid and London Labour, a growing crisis in the NHS, a whispering campaign attempting to undermine the First Minister's position and now this extremely damaging admission from a very experienced backbencher that Scotland will become independent under the guidance of the SNP.

"Former Defence Secretary George Robertson's boast that 'devolution would kill nationalism stone dead' is sounding more like a desperate plea with each passing day. The SNP remain firmly committed to attaining equality for Scotland through independence in Europe."

The full text of the interview with John McAllion can be accessed via the website http://www.scottish-parliament.com/


SNP CALL FOR JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS REFORM AFTER LORD ADVOCATE RESIGNS ON EVE OF LOCKERBIE TRIAL

The Shadow Justice & Equality Minister Ms Roseanna Cunningham MSP has called for reform of Judicial appointments after the Lord Advocate, Lord Hardie, resigned his cabinet position and appointed himself a High Court Judge. Ms Cunningham believes his resignation is untimely coming weeks before the Lockerbie trial is set to get underway. She said:

"This is an extraordinary development, and totally unexpected. It raises a number of very serious questions which deserve answers.

"On the eve of the Lockerbie trial, a great many people will feel a strong sense of let down that Lord Hardie has chosen to depart the field. He has been responsible for key decisions in the Lockerbie prosecution, and the least that he could have done was see this very important trial through to a close.

"Secondly, it leaves the Lab/Lib administration in the lurch, as their lack of preparedness in incorporating the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) into Scots Law is exposed. Lord Hardie has been Lord Advocate since 1997, and has to share much of the blame for that failure. We are entitled to ask if his departure at this crucial stage means that there are more crises ahead.

"Thirdly, Lord Hardie's departure shows that our current way of making judicial appointments is a nonsense. Effectively, the going got rough for him so he got going - onwards and upwards despite the mess being left behind.

"Surely reform of the process of judicial appointments, through the creation of a judicial appointments board, is now urgent? We should remove once and for all the power of patronage from the Lord Advocate, who is after all a senior member of the government. It is that very patronage which has caused some of the problems with ECHR and we cannot allow that to continue any longer.

"It is a scandal that this resignation and appointment came last night without a clear and immediate statement from the Executive. None of these very important questions have been answered. That is a massive failure of this administration."


SCOTTISH PARLIAMENTARIANS UNITE WITH WELSH ASSEMBLY FOR FAIR DEAL ON EURO FUNDING

A cross-party alliance of Scottish Parliamentarians and Welsh Assembly members are uniting to ensure that European funding meant for essential projects in Scotland and Wales is not being siphoned off by the London Treasury.

Under the rules of additionality European funding is meant to be assigned to specific regions and be met with equivalent funding by the London Treasury. However suspicion is rife that the Treasury is not meeting this equivalent and hiding this by allocating this money to existing projects instead of new projects.

The issue was highlighted by the resignation of the Welsh First Secretary, Alun Michael, who had refused to go to the Treasury and argue for additional funding and faced a vote of no confidence in the Welsh Assembly.

SNP Chief Whip Mr Bruce Crawford MSP travelled to Cardiff in Wales to launch the campaign and said:

"We are in Wales today to work with our colleagues and friends to ensure we can deliver the best for Scotland out of this issue. The case for an inquiry now has cross-party backing. Now we need to secure the same consensus as exists in Wales - that we should all fight to secure Scotland's interests.

"That is why we are issuing the same demands in Scotland as Plaid Cymru have issued for Wales. They have won the argument in Wales for Wales. It's up to the Scottish Parliament to deliver the same for Scotland, and to force Labour in Scotland to do the job they are elected to do.

"It is not about narrow party advantage, but making sure that Scotland benefits from resources that are rightfully ours."

Welsh Shadow Spokesperson for Economic Development Mr Phil Williams AM, a Plaid Cymru Assembly Member, said:

"What has been proved right for Wales is right for Scotland, and we are delighted to support the SNP in their campaign. I hope they will win the same support from other parties that we have managed to. It is about uniting to work in the national interest.

"In Wales, Labour under Alun Michael argued the same London line that Labour in Scotland now seem to be arguing. Donald Dewar and colleagues would do well to learn the hard lessons that Labour in Wales have learned. We have cross-party support for our demands and I hope that the SNP can win the same for Scotland."


TOP ACCOUNTANT FIRM'S REPORT ON SCOTLAND

Shadow Finance Minister Mr Andrew Wilson MSP has hailed a new report by top City accountancy firm Chantrey Vellacott, which finds that interest rates set for Scottish conditions would be just 3.85% - much closer to the euro-rate of 3.25%, compared to the UK's 6% rate - and that with oil prices at current levels Scotland is in fiscal balance. Mr Wilson said:

"This leaves the SNP's Unionist opponents in disarray. For example leading Labour Government Minister Gus Macdonald has praised Chantrey Vellacott to the skies for the quality of their research, describing them as "one of the UK's top accountancy firms" (Herald, 15 December 1998).

"It is a heavyweight analysis showing that Scotland would be far better off as a member state in Europe, enjoying lower interest rates - benefiting industry, homeowners, and the whole Scottish economy.

"It also proves that Scotland is a prosperous country, which pays its way in the world, and would thrive with Independence. The bogus case that Scotland is somehow subsidised by London has been demolished."


SCOTS GIVE MILLENIUM DOME COLD SHOULDER

A System Three poll in The Herald newspaper has exposed how the overwhelming majority of people living in Scotland will boycott visiting the Millennium Dome - a project sponsored by the London Government. Commenting on the poll the Shadow Broadcasting, Culture and Gaelic Minister Mr Michael Russell MSP said:

"These figures merely confirm what we have suspected all along, that Scots are not interested in this money wasting London bubble. Only 9% of those polled indicated they would bother visiting the Dome. The vast majority of Scots are set to boycott New Labour's preposterous bubble.

"Nearly half a billion pounds of lottery funding - which is public money - has already been squandered on this London-centric project. It has been reported that a further £60 million of tax payers cash is to be used to help bail out this ailing project.

"It is unacceptable to continue pumping money into this irrelevant bubble when the NHS and other public services in Scotland are being stretched to the limit. New Labour can be compared with the Millennium Dome - all spin and no substance."


...AND FINALLY

There has been much debate in the UK press of late about which party is going to choose who as their candidate for London mayor. The Tories picked novelist Jeffrey Archer but had to dump him after allegations of lying hit the press. They then chose the man he had soundly beaten.

Labour have just chosen the former health secretary Frank Dobson over the highly popular Ken Livingstone but their selection procedure left a lot to be desired as Blair loyalist MPs were given a third of the vote in the electoral college and trade unions leaders had the option of casting votes on behalf of their members without asking them. In the end around 80,000 people voted for Livingstone and 25,000 for Dobson. Livingstone is now considering his position.

The LibDem candidate is still trying to make her mark and is being chased in the polls by the independent candidate Malcolm McLaren - one time manager of the punk band the Sex Pistols.

With such a motley band vying to fill the shoes of Dick Whittington the SNP were surprised to receive an invitation from the Westminster police division to send our own mayoral candidate to an all-party hustings on law and order policies.

© SNP