SCOTLAND'S three main Unionist parties joined forces last night to
launch a joint bid for more powers for the Scottish Parliament.
Scottish Labour, the Scottish Conservatives and the Scottish Liberal
Democrats announced plans for their own "national conversation" to
rival that launched by Alex Salmond, the First Minister, earlier this
month to push for independence.

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1370472007

Labour and the Liberal Democrats were in power for the last two
parliaments. If they had any genuine desire for more powers for the
Scottish parliament they would have articulated that desire during
their time in power. Although it was not properly reported prior to
the election the independence movement as a whole was never more
united than at the last election. All the major scottish parties (SNP,
Greens, SSP, Solidarity) are agreed on political strategy (ie through
a referendum and also delaying a final decision on the EU and monarchy
till after independence to ensure maximum unity now) and all were
actively working together within the Independence Convention and the
referendum campaign Independence First.

In the past Labour and the Lib Dems lined up against the Conservatives
for devolution (also motivated by a desire to outflank the SNP). The
Conservatives were like King Canute, telling the waves of support for
devolution to stop, before being washed away electorally. Now Labour
and the Lib Dems have joined forces with the Tories and now
effectively speak with one unionist voice bellowing NO to a Scottish
public which wants a referendum.

'This far and no further' they effectively told the Scottish people at
the last election, Devolution was 'good enough'. Labour subsequently
got cuffed by the SNP. Since the elections Labour, Tories and Lib Dems
have started issuing joint statements and are now having secret
meetings supposedly to call for 'more powers' but actuyally to decide
the absolute minimum of power they think Scotland will be satisfied
with. The message that their is no difference WHATSOEVER between these
parties is now ringing out very loudly and very clearly.

Most polls prior to the election showed a narrow MAJORITY for
independence (if don't knows were excluded (see Independence First's
website for more info) which explains why the unionst bloc is actually
unwilling to countenance a referendum, they might well lose it!

If the unionist parties supported the 'Claim of Right for Scotland'
which was the moral basis of the Scottish constitutional Convention in
the 1980's then they would respect the Scottish public's desire for a
referendum on independence (support for that is at between 60 and 80%
according to the polls).

In fact they do not. All are London owned and controlled branches of
larger British parties which require the status quo on the union to
continue to allow them to gain power at Westminster.

The more they act together the more the Scottish public will see who
they can trust and who they can't to represent Scottish interests.
It's not hard now we see a home grown Scottish party in power to see
the difference in political ambition between the current
administration and the last.

No doubt mistakes will be made by the SNP but no one can doubt their
desire for more power for their fellow Scots. On the other hand one
can easily see the moves by the unionists to call for 'more powers'
are an obvious and pretty cynical last ditch attempt to hoodwink their
fellow Scots out of the natural normal powers of independence.

http://politicalnewsfromscotland.blogspot.com/