Thursday, January 24, 2008

OK.......What was that about a referendum?

Yes, I admit it, I have been too busy/too lazy, to blog over the last few days. So, having just returned from my highlight of the year - Burns Supper in Edinburgh with Young Scot, fellow blogger Alex Cole-Hamilton and our own MSP Robert Brown on my table - I thought I should maybe have a wee comment on the referendum debate.

I am not a policywonka (honest! ask them.........they will agree.......) I do not inhabit the Westminster bubble. But, it has to be said, I am at a complete loss to understand our U turn on the referendum. OK..........so maybe a treaty doesn't equal a constitution........quite. But, somehow, somewhere, in the black hole which is Westminster, those who have crossed the events horizon have lost all contact with the reality of this nation's relationship with Europe. Bleating on about a referendum about whether we should be in or out, just doesn't cut the mustard. We said we would have a referendum on the constitution..........we a have a "treaty" a rose that by any other name would be a .................yes, you guessed it, constitution! Whether I personally agree with the idea of spending oodles of tax payers money on a referendum is frankly beside the point. We said we would do it. We are falling in with the Brown smoke and mirrors. We look foolish and worse, dishonest.

I can't and won't defend our position - it was never debated at conference - none of us has had a say, but worse we have been prepared to tease the electorate by giving them the false impression that they would have a say. Maybe there is a good argument for such a U-turn. Maybe, but if so, I certainly haven't yet heard it.

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