XPost: soc.culture.scottish, soc.culture.welsh, soc.culture.cornish   
   XPost: soc.culture.irish   
   From: micheil@shaw.ca   
      
   On Sun, 6 May 2007 10:06:50 +0100, "allan connochie"   
    wrote:   
      
   >   
   >"Ian"  wrote in message   
   >news:1178431777.340087.170730@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...   
   >> On 6 May, 02:08, StormWind  wrote:   
   >>   
   >>> Opposing the clear will of the Scottish people will get you to oblivion.   
   >>> Let them have their vote in a fair and square referendum on independence   
   >>>   - what have you got to lose or are you afraid of their decision ?   
   >>   
   >> Well the SNP have a lot to lose, of course, because a pro-union vote   
   >> in a referendum would consign them to the dustbin.   
   >   
   >That is not necessarily so. Devolution failed to come about in 79 and then   
   >happened in 97. A failed independence referendum would certainly put the   
   >issue on hold for a while but it would not necessarily kill it off   
   >altogether and it is quite possible that the SNP are now the permanent   
   >opposition to Labour whatever happens in any referendum.   
   >   
   >   
   >Allan   
   >   
   I think that's a very shrewd remark as the SNP, even if it fails to   
   get a referendum vote in future, would make a very handy stick to prod   
   Westminster with whenever the Scots become dissatisfied with their   
   treatment. In fact, as far as the Central Belt is concerned, the SNP   
   could become a true alternative socialist party without those damaging   
   'creeping communism' middleclass suspicions about Labour.   
      
   If nothing else, the SNP would certainly have an opportunity to make   
   its mark by rearranging Scottish society to adjust or remove many of   
   the social evils that Labour was originally created to set right, as   
   the SNP seems to have a wider range of support from Scottish voters.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)