BBC Alba, in their Diomhair (Secrets) production, aired what must be one of the most damning secrets the UK government have tried to hide for over 30 years. Reporter Derek MacKay introduces the programme, For the past 50 years, Labour and Conservative Governments have shared a common agenda, stopping Home Rulers and Scottish Nationalists from breaking up Britain and making Scotland independent. This programme will show you how both parties have resorted to spying and underhand tactics to discredit the SNP, its members and supporters. We will show you how official documents which supported independence were kept hidden. Politicians and civil servants tried to obstruct independence and keep the country united. In this programme we reveal how, in the past, civil servants, MI5 and Special Branch were used by Westminster to obstruct, and even sabotage, the Scottish Nationalist movement. So nothing really new there Derek? Derek goes on to give us a brief history of the Independence movement in Scotland, going right back to the early 20th Century and the rise of Home Rule. Of course Independence according to London and British media, is something that has only been conjured up recently and used to vilify Alex Salmond and the SNP. Yet, the movement goes way back to something profoundly stronger in the Scottish psyche. There are some amusing anecdotes in reference to the stealing of the Stone of Scone (known as the Coronation Stone in rUK) in 1950. The Stone of Scone is a block of red sandstone that was used for centuries in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland, and later the monarchs of England and the Kingdom of Great Britain. There are various legends surrounding the Stone including Celtic and biblical stories but none can be proven. However, the meaning and existence of the stone is strongly symbolic of Scottish independence. In 1296 the Stone was captured by Edward I and taken to Westminster Abbey, where it was fitted into a wooden chair and where it stayed for the next 700 years.......returning to Scotland in 1996, to appease Scottish dissatisfaction with Westminster politics. In 1947, John MacCormick formed the Scottish Convention calling on pro independence parties throughout Scotland to sign a document requesting constitutional reform for Scotland. The document received over 2 million signatures and was sent to London as a peaceful declaration to the Westminster government of the time. MacKay poses the question, So, what happened to the National Covenant that over 2 million Scots had signed? Nothing, it was delayed, obstacles were put in the way and it was eventually pushed aside. The fact was that the British Government was against devolution. The files were locked away and consigned to history. Fast forward to 1973 and a further rise of SNP MPs elected to Westminster at the general election of 1974. Discontent with the established Westminster politics and discovery of oil in Scottish waters in early 1970s gave rise to the SNPs slogan, its Scotlands Oil. In response the British government became very concerned about the rise of Scottish nationalism. As MacKay puts it, the mixture of Nationalism, devolution and oil worried the government. In 1973-74, Professor Gavin McCrone was given the task of conducting a UK government report on the likely effects of North Sea oil revenue on the economic viability of an independent Scotland. The contents of McCrones report quickly became secret and was kept under warps for the next 31 years. The report came to light in 2005 when the SNP obtained several UK Government papers under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. The full provisions of the Act came into force on 1 January 2005. The UK sponsored report in reference to Scottish independence states, The country would tend to be in chronic surplus to a quite embarrassing degree and the currency would become the hardest in Europe. The Scottish pound would be seen as a good hedge against inflation and devaluation and the Scottish banks could expect to find themselves inundated with a speculative inflow of foreign funds. McCrone then argues that the idea of an independent Scotland being refused EEC membership is a non starter. North Sea oil could have far reaching consequences for Scottish membership of the EEC because of the tremendously increased political power it would confer. As the major producer of oil in Western Europe, Scotland would be in a key position and other countries would be extremely foolish if they did not seek to do all they could to accommodate Scottish interests. This EEC would be the same European Community the Better Together campaign bombarded Scottish voters with, telling them, Scotland would be kicked out of Europe if they chose independence! In conclusion MacKay observes, Successive governments have used and at times abused their power to keep Scotland in the Union and sabotage the causes of devolution and independence. For anyone who cares about democracy, such behind the scenes attempts to undermine legitimate political movements are a cause for concern. That same concern is very much truer now than it was when this programme was first aired. Westminster has apparently not changed one iota, since the independence campaign first started in Scotland in the early 20th century. The referendum may be over, but the independence cause is not going away very soon. Westminster has been called out on their recent corrupt policies and its only a matter of time before justice will be done.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 21:28:27 +0000
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