The SNP has suspended a group of councillors over the burning of a copy of the Smith Commission report which was filmed on YouTube.
The burning of a copy of the Smith Commission’s report is a trivial matter. It cannot be other than a trivial matter because the report itself is trivial.
Far more serious is the fact that the mainstream media continues to lie to us about the report.
The Scotsman is as guilty as any of the rest of the British media. The above article states that,
"The report hands Holyrood power over income tax rates and bands, as well as Air Pssenger Duty (APD) and some welfare controls."
This is a brazen lie. The report hands Holyrood absolutely nothing. It is merely a list of recommendations. And a pretty unimpressive list of unambitious recommendations at that. There is absolutely no guarantee that any of these recommendations will be implemented. And, given the record of the Westminster elite, every reason to expect that no more than some watered-down mish-mash might be delivered, at best.
The Smith Commission did not becoame sacrosanct simply because the SNP was involved. The Scottish Government was obliged to cooperate under the terms of the Edinburgh Agreement. That does not alter the fact that it was yet another talking-shop controlled by the British establishment and intended to serve only the interests of the British state. There is absolutely no reason why any of us should respect the outcome of such a process.
While I fully understand why the party had to take action, as an SNP member I will actively oppose any stringent sanctions against the councillors involved in this demonstration of distrust of the Westminster elite which, after all, is no more than a reflection of the way many - perhaps most - people in Scotland feel. - Peter A Bell
See on scotsman.com
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