Indyref 2 must be delivered

ALISTER Jack, the Secretary of State for Scotland, is on record as saying that there is no appetite for Indyref2, and that the Scottish Government should not proceed with that referendum. This shows Mr Jack, not for the first time, thinking that deflection, distraction and diversion is the way to get people to forget (or disregard) manifesto promises – both of his own party in Westminster, and now (should Mr Jack get his way) of the SNP/Scottish Greens in Holyrood.

Is Mr Jack suggesting that, because his own party in Westminster consider it OK to ditch manifesto promises, that the SNP/Greens Scottish Government should follow that example?

As recently as the 2019 General Election, the Westminster Tories – backed by Mr Jack – promised to retain the pensions triple lock, but then promptly ditched the average earnings part when it looked like giving pensioners a reasonably decent (in percentage terms) rise on what’s already a very poor state pension.

Pensioners have been hit by a double whammy of ditched Tory/Westminster election promises, which leaves current pensioners poorer, and depresses the starting base for all future pensioners. Those future pensioners, of course, are already suffering the same cost-of-living increases brought on, largely, by the Tories’ mismanagement of Brexit; and of energy companies being allowed – by that same Government – to increase the cap on prices by 54 per cent while raking in massive profits.

So no, Mr Jack, the Scottish Government does not need any lessons on behaviour from your party in Westminster.

And the people of Scotland expect the Scottish Government to deliver its manifesto pledges – including holding Indyref2 within this parliamentary term.

Ian Waugh, Dumfries & Galloway Indy Hub, Dumfries.