Posted by
Scottish Unionist
at 9:25 AM.
There are .
This morning’s Scotsman
reports that the SNP’s so-called
National Conversation on Independence has so far cost £464,000. Liberal Democrat finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis nailed the issue:
“This is the most expensive one-sided conversation in Scottish history. It is a monologue from SNP ministers, not a dialogue with the Scottish people. It has cost the taxpayer almost £500,000 to listen to the SNP have a conversation with themselves. Ministers have simply been asking a question they already know they answer to. The SNP want independence and isolationism for Scotland, the Scottish people don’t.”
Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie was even
blunter:
“The National Conversation is a waste of taxpayers’ money and a waste of everyone’s time. Support for independence is at an all-time low and support for Scotland's place in the Union at a high. The National Conversation doesn’t even have the backing of the Scottish Parliament. It is the minority aim of a minority government.”
A few days ago, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray
said that the
National Conversation website had only reached the “twilight world of the SNP’s midnight bloggers”, adding:
“It is a national embarrassment and the Scottish Government should put it out of its misery now and stop wasting taxpayers’ money on it.”
God help any0one disagreeing with the SNP on the 'conversation' site - there is a pack of rabid Nationalist hounds just waiting to snap at them!
Indeed so. The suppression of dissent is part of the “pretendipendence” agenda: trying to create the false impression that opinion has shifted massively in favour of separation, when in fact support for independence has waned since 2007.
Yawn.
Have you nothing of substance to say or just trivia?
OK Indy, I’ll beef it up a bit.
Iain Gray calls the SNP’s so-called national conversation campaign a “national embarrassment”.
He’s right. That a pre-moderated, Scottish government operated web forum should include overtly anti-English comments is an absolute disgrace.
The whole National Conversation is a nonsense. What was it designed to do? Who will report on the feedback? Will the person who reports be independent?
The website (3rd listing for 'national conversation' on Google UK - behind something about Council tenants - incidentally) doesn't even introduce any of these ideas. Indeed, it reads:
"The National Conversation
The Scottish Government is committed to bringing forward a referendum bill in time for a referendum on independence for Scotland to be held in the autumn of 2010."
Where's the conversation? How will this exercise change government policy? What will have to be said or done to alter their course?
There really is nothing here of any value to anyone.