SNP weren’t banking on pension concerns

THIS week the SNP were caught between a rock and a hard place with regard to future arrangements around pension payments in the event that Scotland becomes independent with Ian Blackford MP, SNP Westminster Group leader, arguing that the UK Government would be obligated to continue to pay pension payments for those who had paid into the system.

Nicola Sturgeon also said that, in an independent Scotland, it would be the Scottish Government that would be responsible but went onto caveat this is subject to postreferendum negotiations.

This within itself raises some serious questions.

I’ve been working since I was 16: would I get what I have paid in; will the Scottish Government pick up the tab and pay half; will the UK Government continue to pay my and your parents’ state pensions; could pension payments to Scottish recipients be reduced; and with no Scottish MPs in Westminster there will be no vehicle to challenge that decision?

To me, the balance of power on this rests with the UK Government and I suspect that if Scotland did become independent it would be the case that Scotland would need to come up with a solution.

The fact that the FM had to caveat that future pension payments would be subject to post-referendum discussions speaks volumes to me and, I dare say, to others as well. For me, this highlights the lack of seriousness and maturity that I genuinely expect from the SNP on this matter.

I think the same can be said for a lot of people in Scotland. After all, we are talking about people’s lives and that is something I’m not prepared to gamble with – just think about Brexit and all the promises that were made but which also came with caveats.

What concerns me is that clearly there has been no real thinking around the issue and yet you would think eight years on from the 2014 referendum on independence this would have been a key priority for them as many people vote on the basis of the economy and the perceived impact it will have on their daily lives.

Ultimately, what this tells me is that when you cut through all the bluff and bluster and spin, the SNP are nowhere near ready to have a second referendum by 2023, which if they don’t achieve will result in pressure for Sturgeon to go given she has consistently promised hardcore Yes members of the party that a referendum will be held by then.

That said, the narrative is very different to the practicalities of securing that referendum which, as we all know, will only happen if the UK Government agrees to giving a Section 30 order – otherwise the question that needs to be asked is are the SNP talking about a wildcat referendum or a non-binding indicative referendum?

The answer, I suspect, is probably not and sadly the politics of grievance will continue to the detriment of the population of Scotland.

At the end of the day, if you believe in independence, by all means put forward your arguments, to try to persuade the electorate as to why and how an independent Scotland can be the best constitutional set-up for the people of Scotland.

But for the love of God, Nicola, please do not treat people with so much contempt and brush aside an issue that matters to so many.

After all, Scotland already has significant numbers of pensioners in poverty under your watch and we don’t want to make it worse, and I can tell you that this is a significant issue not just for those who have approached pensioner status but for those who care about our elderly citizens in Scotland.

One of the main reasons the Yes camp failed to persuade Scotland to support independence in 2014 was largely down to their weak narrative on the economy which at the time was heavily dependent on North Sea oil production.

Eight years later, the oil and gas sector is no longer seen as being central to the economy in an independent Scotland.

I’m really starting to think that the SNP have no real plan for an independent Scotland and if the SNP are serious about independence, the best thing they can do is agree with the UK Government what a Yes vote would look like and put it to the people of Scotland.

Should a second referendum take place, let us make an informed decision about the kind of future we want for Scotland.