McNeil's Wisdom

  DON'T WASTE YOUR VOTE If there is one thing that is clearer than ever, it is that Scotland needs independence more than ever. Recently at an election meeting I asked the audience to name anything that was better now than it was in 2014 after the referendum. Zilch, nada, nothing. In fact everything is worse. Cost of living, energy costs, housing, NHS waiting times, social care, local government services et al, all worse.  The United Kingdom is in terminal decline and Scotland is being dragged down with it. The painful reality is that decline will continue until Scotland is a free country complete with full political and economic powers and control over our natural resources. I've never seen and I don't know anybody else who has seen, such levels of both apathy and despair at a general election. Ironically as a candidate in the election I have never watched less political debate. I haven't watched because I know exactly what they will say and I know none of it matters. ...

T he Proclaimers will be adding a few more verses to 'Letter to America' their 1987 eulogy to Scotland's industries and working communities.   This last year or so has seen a few more towns and sites to add to the list, Grangemouth, Mossmorran and now Ardersier. The de-industrialisation emasculation of Scotland continues apace. The pace and scale is starting to resemble the Thatcher era. At least Thatcher didin't discriminate, she shut down industry right across the UK, but this now looks like deliberate political policy to impoverish Scottish industry and business to make Scotland appear more dependent on the UK and dampen independence ambitions. While our industry closes the UK Labour government steps in to save industry in Labour run England and Wales. The closure of Grangemouth leaves Scotland as the only major oil producing country in the world without its own refinery. 430 jobs lost and 4,600 more in the supply chain at risk. Mossmorran is closing because it can...

 Not So Honest John You can tell when there is an election in the offing, the SNP suddenly remember they are an independence party, THE , independence party. During the parliamentary term independence barely gets a mention. During this term, indeed since 2014, the SNP has not campaigned for independence and has done nothing to either advance the cause of independence or obtain a referendum or other means to give the Scottish people the opportunity to vote for independence. SNP supporters don't like to be told this but they can't argue against it as they can't provide any evidence to counter it. Indeed the performance of the SNP as both a party and a government has actually harmed the cause of independence. As a party they have lost tens of thousands of members, are in a critical financial postion, had three leaders in little over two years and have been under criminal investigation resulting in their CEO being charged with fraud. Their poll ratings now sit some 20 points be...

Welcome to my new blog, McNeil's Wisdom. A contradiction in terms you may believe. I've decided to start writing again prompted by the onset of the Scottish General Election campaign, the elections not 'til May 2026. God help us. Clearly the campaign has started and there is already a lot of nonsense being spouted. So, I'll be getting into some of that as well as commenting on topics as they come up and general blogging. Look forward to your company and your comments. Ken