SNP NORTH AMERICAN NETWORK NEWSLETTER Issue 9, January 1999 UPDATE
NOTE-- due to regulations set by the Labour party in London
Only persons with the right to vote in the UK may contribute directly to the SNP. Supporters who have no vote in the UK are asked to contribute to our North America Fund, the income from which is retained in North America to support awareness-raising there about Scotland and the SNP.Welcome to the ninth edition of the Scottish National Party's e-mail newsletter for North American supporters - and a Happy New Year to you all.
As expected the past month has been fairly quite with the festivities taking up much time. However that hasn't stopped some of you helping to enlarge the North American Network through passing on the names of more supporters. The coming year is bound to be the busiest the SNP has ever had with the first elections to the Scottish Parliament, local council elections and European elections. With Tartan Day in the US now a national holiday there is the opportunity for a party representative to attend an all-party discussion in Alexandria, Virginia. Our Advisory Group are at present in discussion about this event. We have also been contacted by Andrew McDiarmid of South Texas, USA who was born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. Andrew writes, hosts and produces a weekly radio program on National Public Radio affiliates KMBH and KHID in South Texas. He is currently in the process of looking to make his show available nationally via syndication on the American Public Radio Satellite System, with a base here in Texas. Thus he is currently looking for Radio Stations around America, preferably with big Scottish listenerships, that would be interested in carrying a new on-the-edge Scottish radio show called Simply Scottish. If anyone can help please contact Andrew on Moredun@aol.com or visit his webpages at www.simplyscottish.ourfamily.com Simply Scottish is entirely dedicated to Scotland, bringing a unique blend of Scotland's best music, old and new, plus Scottish stories and poetry, famous Scots who have changed the world, the latest Scottish news, interviews with Scots in Scotland, music giveaways, and much more. Andrew has already talked with Roseanna Cunningham, MP and SNP Spokeswoman, about my support for the SNP, and have gained support from such figures as Scottish writer and columnist Gordon Irving, and Mrs. Mary Atwater, grand-daughter of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ALEX SALMOND'S NEW YEAR MESSAGE - "1999 WILL BE SCOTLAND'S YEAR OF CHANGE" In his 1999 New Year message, the leader of the Scottish National Party Mr Alex Salmond MP said that 1999 would be a momentous year for Scotland and that "Independence has never looked more achievable". Mr Salmond said: "1999 will be one of the most important years in Scotland's history. In May we go to the polls to elect our first Parliament in 300 years - at the same time we will also elect Scotland's councils, and a month later our Euro MPs. It will be Scotland's year of change. "The SNP enters 1999 with higher support than ever before. As 'Scotland's Party', we are setting the pace in Scottish politics and holding out to the Scottish people an ambitious, attractive plan for our country's future. "In the first ever truly Scottish General Election our country can choose a government that will have Scotland at the heart of its concerns. We can choose a new politics, based on the core Scottish values of Enterprise, Compassion and Democracy. These are the values that underpin the SNP and which are the bedrock of our ambition to be the administration of Scotland in the new Parliament. "If elected we shall make that Parliament work. It can do many things, and it can also develop the confidence of the people of Scotland as they learn to govern themselves well. The major threat to that Parliament is the control freak tendency of New Labour, not the positive, open outlook of the SNP. "And of course the SNP want to build the powers of that Parliament to full Independence. We know that with control of our own resources we would be the 7th richest country in the developed world. We continue to contribute more to the London treasury than we receive and our precious natural resources continue to be wasted by London government. "For many Scots the choice of Independence has never looked more attractive or more achievable - no wonder that it is now the clear choice of the majority in many opinion polls. "I am excited about the prospects for Scotland not just in the coming year, but in all the years ahead. I know that every member of the SNP is determined to use every ounce of effort to maximise our representation in that Parliament, in the Councils and in the European Parliament."It will be up to the people to decide who governs Scotland after May 6th. I am confident that our message, our track record, our campaign enthusiasm and our pledge to deliver real change will be powerful factors in the coming elections. And I am also confident that Scotland's year will be a historic year of achievement for our nation, and for Scotland's Party. "I welcome 1999 full of hope, and full of determination to succeed. Let those be Scottish virtues for this year as well!" SNP AND LABOUR NECK AND NECK IN POLLS The first two opinion polls for 1999 have shown the SNP and Labour neck and neck in the race for the Scottish Parliament. ICM for the Scotsman saw Labour drop by six points to 38% - only 2% ahead of the SNP. Meanwhile the more regular Systems 3 poll for the Herald put the SNP and Labour on 38% each for the first constituency vote and the SNP 1% ahead of Labour at 38%. Commenting on the polls the SNP Chief Executive Michael Russell said: "These polls confirm that the race for the Scottish Parliament is once again neck and neck between the SNP and Labour. "New Labour is being shunned by Scottish voters as a result of the shambles and infighting that now characterises New Labour everywhere - in Downing St, at the Scottish Office and in local government. Far from succeeding with the campaign of "natbashing", that has continued despite New Labour's humiliation in the North East of Scotland by-election and in successive local government by-elections, SNP support is solid." "Considering that the last ICM poll gave the SNP only a projected four point lead in the North East Euro by-election compared to the actual result the following day which had the SNP 30 points ahead, the real situation in Scotland is likely to be even more positive with the SNP firmly in the driving seat of Scottish politics and working hard for victory on May 6th." 8TH POLL TO SHOW INDEPENDENCE REFERENDUM MAJORITY The Scotsman/ICM poll has shown for the eighth time in a row that there is majority support for Independence in a referendum context. The poll showed that 49% would vote for Independence in a referendum, compared to 42% against - or 54% to 46% when the 'don't knows' are excluded. The Scottish National Party's Chief Executive Mr Michael Russell said that Independence was the clear preference of Scots post-devolution. "This is unprecedented in the history of opinion polling in Scotland, and is enormously encouraging for Scotland's Party, the SNP. "In recent months, London Labour have mounted the strongest and most sustained attack ever on both the SNP and Independence - involving the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary, Trade & Industry Secretary, and taking in the Institute of Directors, and London-based trade unions. It has even, occasionally, involved the sidelined Scottish Secretary! "And yet, on the key indicators, Scottish Independence commands majority support. SNP ANNOUNCE REGIONAL LIST RANKINGS FOR ELECTION The Scottish National Party has announced the rankings for their regional lists for the Scottish Parliament elections. In the elections voters will have two votes - the first will be for the local constituency candidate of their choice and the second for the party they support. The second vote is meant to take account of the unproportional results thrown up by first-past-the-post elections and ensure the Parliament reflects the wishes of the electorate. Speaking at the announcement of the results, which was done by the Returning Officer for the Elections, Allison Hunter, the SNP Director of Organisation, SNP Leader Alex Salmond MP said: "These lists show the great breadth of talent that the SNP will be offering Scotland on May 6th. Our team will be the strongest in the field, and its strength is increased by the fact that it has been elected by our members not selected by our leaders. New Labour has stuffed its lists with its cronies, with the order being determined by a six man cabal, a third of which was imposed by London. The SNP involved its entire membership throughout Scotland and it is our members who have decided the people that will contend for Scotland's first Parliament in 300 years. "I am delighted that this list contains many, many people who can make a difference to their communities and to their country and I am particularly pleased that so many women have made it into the top positions, with 40% of the top five candidates being women. I am also delighted that the party has responded so strongly to the challenge of electing our representatives, with a huge turnout. The SNP is now fully geared up for the Scottish Parliament and our campaign is spearheaded by the best candidates list in Scotland, with the most democratic legitimacy." The results can be seen on our website (http\\:www.snp.org.uk) under the Election 99 page with links to biographies on the candidates. LABOUR PLUNGED INTO CRONYISM ROW OVER ELECTION LISTS Meanwhile the Labour was at the centre of a bitter row over allegations of cronyism and of failing to uphold its commitment to gender balance in the selection of its list candidates. A number of the party's activists were described as being deeply unhappy about Labour's provisional choice of regional list candidates for the Holyrood elections, claiming favouritism had been shown towards leading figures. Protests are also being made about the absence of women from the top of the lists. One of the figures at the centre of the cronyism row is Keith Geddes, the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), who leads the City of Edinburgh Council.
Having been defeated in his bid to become the first-past-the-post candidate for Edinburgh South, he is thought to have been placed at the top of Labour's South of Scotland list of candidates who will stand under the second proportional representation vote. Labour is also facing criticism over the plan to place other leading figures at the top of regional lists. The names include Peter Peacock, the convener of Highland Region.
Mr Peacock, who was previously an Independent councillor, stepped down from his post as a vice-president of COSLA after he decided to join the Labour Party. He is expected to top the list of candidates for Highlands and Islands. Michael Russell who won the second place on the SNP list for South of Scotland, said that the selection process showed that Labour was now "poisoned by cronyism to its very core". EU \223 USA \237BANANA WAR\367 THREATENS SCOTTISH JOBS Dr Winifred Ewing, the Euro-MP for the Highlands and Islands, has written to the US Ambassador, Philip Lader, to convey her concern about the threat to jobs in Scotland's cashmere and shortbread industries. Her action comes after the US Department of Trade's proposals to increase the duty on "luxury" goods from 6% to 100% in retaliation for Europe's decision to ban imports of bananas from Latin America. This would affect the knitted cashmere industry of which 90% of UK cashmere production (and 50% of European output) is centred in Scotland. Dr Ewing said: "As the MEP for the Highlands and Islands I have written to the US Ambassador asking him to convey my concerns about the US Department of Trade's proposals to increase the duty on luxury goods from 6 per cent to 100 per cent. This is bound to have a detrimental effect on the knitted cashmere mill and shortbread factory in my constituency. \237After constant lobbying by the Harris Tweed Industry I have been assured by the Department of Trade and Industry that it will be safe from the threat of an increase of duty. To convince the US to lift the threat to Harris Tweed it was argued that the industry was small and in a perilous state because of the high pound. \237I have therefore employed the same arguments to convince the US not to impose the same duty on knitted cashmere and shortbread. Thus any draconian duty changes will severely impact on the area. \237I am therefore hoping that the US Ambassador will take on board my concerns to convince the US Department of Trade to reverse its decision. It is vital that this threat is lifted before the vital deadline of February 1 when sanctions could kick in.\367 SNP TO TAKE DEBATE TO ENGLAND A team of the SNP's senior members is to undertake a high-profile tour of England to promote Scottish independence. They will give a number of lectures, to be known as the St Andrew's Series, to show that Scottish independence will mean better relationship between the peoples of the British Isles. The climax of the tour is to be an address at the London School of Economics by the SNP leader, Alex Salmond. George Reid, the SNP spokesman for external affairs, will begin the St Andrew's Series with an address to foreign newspaper correspondents in London on 2 February. Roseanna Cunningham, MP, will travel into Tony Blair's heartland to address a conference in Durham. She will give a lecture entitled "Britain's identity, devolution and the future of the Acts of Union" to the Durham History Society Conference on 13 February. Ms Cunningham will also travel to the Isle of Man, where she will address the island's parliament, the Tynwald. "The point of this trip is to promote our idea of an association of states which covers the whole of these islands," she said. Michael Russell, the SNP chief executive, is also taking part in the series. He will speak in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, about Scottish-Irish relations and the Council of the Isles. SNP LEADING LAND REFORM AGENDA - LABOUR'S PROPOSALS DO NOT GO FAR ENOUGH Proposals for the reform of Scotland's system of land ownership were unveiled this week by the Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar. The reforms were meant to reform a system which still has elements of the old feudal laws - feudal laws that allowed the expulsion of many from the land leading to mass emigration to North America. However the SNP believes the reforms do not go far enough. Setting out the Scottish National Party's leading role in developing the land reform agenda in Scotland - including the Party's proposals for Locality Land Council pilots, and for absentee landowners to have a mandatory agent resident on their estates - SNP Land Spokesperson Mr Fergus Ewing said:
"For many years, the SNP have led the debate on the need for radical land reform in Scotland. For example, in 1995, the SNP established the independent Land Commission under the chairmanship of Professor Allan Macinnes - which held public hearings all over Scotland, and received a huge volume of oral and written evidence, prior to publishing a practical blueprint for land reform in Scotland. "Thanks to initiatives such as the Land Commission, there is a consensus in Scotland on key elements of land reform, such as abolishing feudal superiority, leasehold casualties, and what Ruth Wishart pithily described as 'feudal mugging'. Certainly, the SNP are ready to hit the ground running on delivering a radical land reform agenda in the Scottish Parliament. "The SNP want to enable communities to be proactive rather than reactive, which is why we propose to create democratic structures to go hand in hand with new powers - such as compulsory purchase - which would give communities the ability to set local land use priorities, as well as a mechanism to intervene in cases of abuse. This is sadly missing from Labour's proposals. "As well as piloting elected Locality Land Councils, the SNP also propose legislating to require absentee owners of large estates to have a mandatory agent resident on their estates - who would be legally responsible to fulfil the owner's obligations - thus banishing to scourge of absenteeism from Scotland. "Trusting the people is at the heart of the SNP's proposals, which is why we advocate new democratic structures, so that powers are in the control of local communities, rather than civil servants or unelected quangos. "Labour have been in power for many years during this century, and have failed to deliver on proper land reform over all this time. But there can be no doubt about the SNP's commitment, and the work that the SNP have done has forced others to begin to address the need for radical land reform in Scotland. "We intend, if elected, to finish the job of radical land reform in Scotland, which Labour in government has repeatedly failed to deliver."