Having watched the BBC news, the US senator Menendez has once again been thwarted by Alex Salmond. Those of my readers who are 'body language' experts could see that, underneath his smiling persona, Mr Salmond was seething.
Menendez, in his desperate attempt to be elected in the forthcoming US senate elections, has now suggested that he send a delegation to interview Scottish ministers over the Lockerbie affair.
Alex Salmond has said: "There is no way on earth that the Senate foreign relations committee would be allowed to hold hearings or interview ministers in either London or Edinburgh, as it was unconstitutional and unprecedented. The Scottish Government is only answerable to the Scottish People".
Well done Eck. But there are serious worries within the Scottish population - not least the SNP's insistence that, should Scotland take the decision to be independent, they should be part of the EU. More and more people in Scotland are becoming disillusioned about the EU and the SNP are missing the opportunity for the nation to discuss their concerns. Why can't Alex Salmond show the same leadership as he has with the US and commence a nationwide discussion about their policy? The SNP's policy was formed many years ago and I have no idea if it has been revised in the meantime, but what I do know is that, with their present stance, they will lose many votes.
The SNP won't lose votes because of their confident stance against four US senators though. The only people who will lose votes are the four US senators.
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25 comments:
Why should we give a damn about American senators losing votes.
Just who do they think they are?
Calling across the pond like a headmaster calling naughty errant schoolboys to his study to account for themselves.
Sod off!
Would any Americans upon request come over here to answer questions...I think not!
SR,
For heaven's sake lass, Salmond is a politician and he is no more likely to ask Scottish voters their views on EU membership than I am likely to be elected Pope!
Anyway, extremely pleased to hear that the Scots are beginning to wake up to what we English have known for yonks!
Question: "Well done Eck" - "Eck"? Translation for a foreigner, please?
"The Scottish Government is only answerable to the Scottish People"
...except when the actions of that government impact on citizens of other countries, surely? Or should national leaders be able to act with impunity when it comes to foreign relations?
WFW
The clue's in the name aLEX.
I've always wondered how Terence could become "Tel" masel.
Once Scotland has regained its independence, the SNP will have no further purpose to serve and should disband.
So it will have no say in the subsequent decisions of the Scottish people.
Mmmmm...... Re AS spot-on re America; as for membership of the EU..........I've always thought Associate would be good enough which implies a degree of independance while being "generally" in tune with europian intelectual guidance. Allowing us, of course, to differ on various items. Such as the price of booze and the need to beat the S... out of nasty B......'. (sorry) people when they allow the brute beast to surface in themselves. But that's just me, a prat of a Calvin upbringing. So maybe the EU is there to save folk from nasty gits like me.....so associate it has to be and no more.
I agree with your view. But just one small quibble. Whatever the motivation of Senator Menendez (or the other senator from New Jersey, Senator Lautenberg), it is not votes for reelection in this November's congressional election. Neither man is up for reelection to the senate this year. Since the senate term is six years, and the federal elections occur at two year intervals, only one-third of the senate seats are contested in any one election. Neither of the two New Jersey seats are contested this year.
I'd never vote SNP again. After 30 years of support.
It's now a vile party that believes in the EU, the global warming scam and mass 3rd world immigration.
Oh and it quietly dumped the chance of a vote on Independence despite Bendy Wendy screaming 'bring it on'.
Methinks Wendy knew that the SNP were just anonther Establishment flunky party.
Sadly she was right.
JJ, the US won't even give documents to the English coroners who undertake the inquests on British soldiers.
Of course you're right WFW, silly me.
I'm not too sure the Scots are beginning to waken up, it's sadly just the odd few I think, but there's a saying here 'mony a mickle maks a muckle' (loose translation: every little counts).
Conan has answered your question. :)
What a strange comment Keith. Do you think any government should be able to cross-question any other all in the name of foreign relations?
I see independence slipping down the agenda Hamish. A year ago I saw hope and now I see much less of it.
Dram, I don't think the EU is there for any moral reason. It perhaps began as a moral idea to keep Europe peaceful. That's worked but now we just go further afield to create wars. Associate would be fine.
Apologies for my error Danny. Now I know that it's not for re-election then Menendez must be doing Obama's work for him with regard to pulling BP's shares further down the scale.
If he's so concerned about the release of Megrahi, he's taken far too long to display his thoughts.
The problem is RM, who then do believers in independence vote for? UKIP don't stand in every constituency in Scotland.
I'm disillusioned also - perhaps you've noticed.
subrosa- I was able to vote UKIP at the recent election.
It didn't change anything locally but it added to their national vote. That covered my opposition to the EU and the global warming scam. Two of my main bugbears ! So I felt slightly better.
I'd sadly say goodbye to Independence if it meant getting Great Britain back from the EU !
That there Scottish people concept you and Alex keep trotting out.
does that include the East European immigrant's(and all the others) eligible to vote to in the Scottish election.
"The Scottish Government is only answerable to the Scottish People"
Except, of course that it's answerable to the E.U.
You were fortunate RM. There was no candidate here. Somehow I think independence is back in the cupboard and is not going to be aired for some time. The past few years, when there were opportunities, the chances were lost and I don't see any better ones in the immediate future.
Niko, what do you want me to call the folk who live in Scotland? Mugs?
Ah yes EP, one of the thorns in my side. That and climate change, just like RM.
Remind me Subrosa how many votes the anti EU parties gained at the last Election in Scotland? UKIP + BNP must have recorded all of 2% between them. There your answer.
If the SNP is no longer interested in independence why do us activist keep asking voters their views on it all the time on the doorsteps? An amazing number of Conservative/Labour voters are pro independence!
The real problem of being independent outside the EU is which currency do you use?
For Scotland the options are £(politically unacceptable long term), Euro (need to be in EU) or our own (risky with a small country dependent on oil price).
My money is on the Euro provided it survives the present economic firestorm.
Strathturret, I know the Scots have little interest in the EU. For some reason they don't think it affects them much but one day they'll have to waken up.
I know there are tory and labour voters who are pro-independence but unfortunately the SNP has not generated much debate about independence. There was the Big Conversation then nothing. People want to know how we will cope financially and get no answers.
We could stay with the £ initially but I see you think we ought to stay with the EU and the euro. I disagree with that.
Yes I've been knocking doors again; only 9+ months to next election! Nobody mentions EU as an issue on the doors! If you dip into the blogworld its a parallel world where all the English rightwing Torygraph types seem absolutely obsessed with their imagined wrongs of the EU.
Personally 65 years of european peace and free movement of labour and a level playing field for business seems pretty good to me.
As I've said previously Strathturret, the Scots seem rather complacent about the EU at present. For some reason it they don't appear to think it relates to them but to England only.
Have you ever broached the subject at the doors?
We can have what you want without giving the EU so much more than is returned. Other countries handle it like that and they're not paying for unelected people to call the tune.
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