On Scottish Foreign Policy
The Cameron meltdown is a gift and an insight. But it also reveals some options.
The Conservatives, and the British State are startled, not just by the upstart Scots – checks notes – ‘talking to people’ – but in particular – a possible alternative position on Israel-Palestine. This is what’s really behind all of this.
But it’s interesting too that at no point – at point – do you hear the British state representative’s saying “What can we do to represent Scotland abroad?” A truly useful, functioning Union would be asking: “What are Scotland’s specific needs and events and cultural assets that we can promote through our international network?”
You just don’t hear that. What you hear, effectively is: ‘Shut Up’.
This is not just because to promote Scotland as a trade body, as a culture, as a coherent national identity is anathema to Britain. The potential soft-power of Scotland through the diaspora and through key events and cultural iconography is vast. Whether that be about the Games industry, food and drink, Burns night, contemporary music, literature or Gaelic culture, it must be prevented from expression and reach.
But the other and more urgent reason that Cameron and Gove before him was the idea that the expression of any discrete ideas about foreign policy or geopolitics is really threatening to the British. As Britain’s policies on Rwanda and immigration, approaches to climate breakdown or support for Israel become more and more absurd and grotesque so this gulf deepens. To be forced and chaperoned and threatened to remain in lockstep with such policies and outlook is untenable. You cannot be forced to ally yourselves with genocide denial or the sociopathic dysfunctional ism of the Rwandan policy.
Maybe there’s a benefit in being booted out? Maybe we need to “consider the presence of Scottish Government offices in UK government posts”. Better to be autonomous than monitored. Better to be independent than chaperoned and spied on.
As the Scotland Act detailed: “the reservation of international relations does not have the effect of precluding the Scottish Ministers and officials from communicating with other countries, regions, or international or European institutions, so long as … the Scottish Ministers do not purport to speak for the United Kingdom.”
Of course there is nothing essentially progressive about ‘Scotland abroad’ as it stands. As Roza Salih, Glasgow Councillor for Greater Pollok and Glasgow Girl, Roza Salih’s has said:
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We need to start ignoring particular dictats emanating from WM and start acting as an
Independent country Believe you me ‘we’ will have been infiltrated in many ways so ‘they’ spy on us in every field anyway.
It is crucial to understand that some of the most important foreign policy areas are reserved from the Westminster Parliament too, under the purview of Royal prerogative and what Richard Norton-Taylor calls “struggles with Whitehall, Britain’s unaccountable ‘permanent government’, what in the United States they call the ‘deep state'”, whose role and powers powers have grown quietly, unchecked, with intelligence services and armed forces becoming more entwined (and special forces shielded). (The State of Secrecy: Spies and the Media in Britain, p1) Plus a bunch of secret committees, according to Duncan Campbell: https://www.duncancampbell.org/content/secret-society
and secret agreements and treaties (like the ones the UK has with Israel, who it helped arm with nukes). And maybe some of the British Empire’s secret laws and secret courts regularly touch on foreign policy, but, y’know, national security and all that.
My post from elsewhere on social media which I hope may be of interest. It relates to an initiative – The Declaration of a Sovereign Scot – which is gaining incresaing support across Scotland. Post reaas as follows:
“Any further breaches of the protocol of ministerial meetings will result in no further meetings or logistical support.” “We will also need to consider the presence of Scottish government offices in UK government posts.” (David Cameron) – However – please be fully aware that for nearly three years now – every signed Declaration of a Sovereign Scot has been delivered to the Secretary General of the United Nations in New York, and 17 UN Members have been made aware of the Declaration initiative.
Scotland will regain its independence when it can be demonstrated that Sovereign Scots are in the majority in deciding that they no longer consent to the continuation of the Treaty of Union. As long as I am able, I will continue to buy the paper, the printer ink, and cover the costs of the postage involved – I will attend all the rallies whenever and wherever they are held (and more). I’ll even remember to bring pens.
This is the invitation for all Sovereign Scots:
Will you exercise your Claim Of Right as a Sovereign Scot, and declare – with your individual signature:
I do not consent to the terms of, nor the continuation of, the Treaty of Union established through the Acts of Union in 1707.
*****************
Notes: In an earlier post, I said how I would be active in 2024 – I will repeat how and where in a post early in 2024.
As Scotland and the other devolved UK nations are not consulted about Foreign Policy, I think we are under no obligation to follw this rule by Cameron. Furthermore, i think it important that ascotland,s ministers disassocite themselves completely with the British policies on Retining nuclear weapons, aiding rogue states with funds and arms support, and being happy to break International Laws and treaties when it suits them.
We must ignore this message from Cameron and give him our reasons.
We have very different policies which we would put into practice were we Independent and we should make this known widely.
Well, if this isn’t the straw to break the camels back, I give up!
There may be two things at play here:
1.The ongoing attacks on Holyrood government (& by default Holyrood institutions) emboldened by recent developments.
2.A lack of confidence in Westminster government re its foreign policy as it cannot acknowledge that its own policies on Gaza conflict, Rwanda immigration bill for example (not to mention Brexit) are not only controversial amongst electorate but do not represent the different countries of the union.
You could have done better than that. The Scottish governnment’s foreign policy consists mostly of selling Scottish government natural resources to international corporations. Fuck-all to do with Dave Cameron.