The First Minister urged UK ministers to work with the Scottish Government to test a new legal proposal, outlined in his independence White Paper, to bypass the EU's usual, lengthy accession procedure.
Officials have confirmed that the Scottish Government had no plans to contact the European Commission directly, having been told a year ago that any request for legal advice on an independent Scotland's plans for membership must be submitted via the UK as the existing member state.
Detailed plans for fast-track
membership only emerged in the White Paper last month following advice by senior civil servants, legal experts and academics in Scotland.
Mr Salmond said: "Why don't we have a precise legal scenario (from Brussels)? Because the United Kingdom Government refuse to go to the Commission with the precise legal scenario."
The UK Government has declined previous requests to approach Brussels.
Opponents, quite incredibly, having had the situation explained to them, claimed Mr Salmond was hiding behind the UK decision as he feared the European Commission would confirm an independent Scotland would have to apply from scratch.
Mr Salmond said: "Why don't we have a precise legal scenario (from Brussels)? Because the United Kingdom Government refuse to go to the Commission with the precise legal scenario."
The UK Government has declined previous requests to approach Brussels.
Opponents, quite incredibly, having had the situation explained to them, claimed Mr Salmond was hiding behind the UK decision as he feared the European Commission would confirm an independent Scotland would have to apply from scratch.
 |
| David and Davidson. The long and the short of it. |
It seems not to have occurred to them that if Salmond feared bad news, then it would probably be best for him not to ask at all.
But he's the one that wants the definitive advice.
It's the UK that is frightened that yet another of its half witted scare stories will be exploded in front of it.
Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson said it was "extraordinary" the First Minister had not attempted to contact Brussels direct.
Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson said it was "extraordinary" the First Minister had not attempted to contact Brussels direct.
Well DUH! Sometimes you have to wonder where they got her?
OK, for the benefit of Davidson, I'll try to explain it very slowly and in ass size bites.
The Scottish government, Ruthie, (yes that's them over there...) has been informed by the EU, (with me so far?) that requests for information will only be entertained from the government of a sovereign member of the union.
How we doing? Still following?
Good. Now Ruth, Scotland is not a sovereign member of the European
Union. It is, and you may have noticed this, subject to the United Kingdom. (That's why our farmers get about half what the English farmers get per hectare, and less than any other member state!!! Remember, you were complaining about it the other day.)
The United Kingdom, ruled from London by your boss, the posh bloke from Eton with all the friends at court (actually IN court as well, Lynton in Australia and Andy and Rebecca in England) is the sovereign member and they CAN ask Brussels for a ruling.
That is why the Scottish government (yes, those ones over there) cannot
go to Brussels and ask them. But Alex (that's the largish gentleman) has asked your friend Mr Cameron...David... or probably Sir to you... to do it.
It's not laziness on Alex's pat. He's simply not important enough to ask that question. But your boss is. He's REALLY important. Why he even got in a photo with Mr Obama last week
OK? Got it?
Or do you need me to go over it again?
By the way,what did you get your degree in? Breathing in and out?
No Tris Ruth isn't stupid but she thinks we are and that if she tells us black is white we'll go thanks hen. Unfortunately our heads don't button up the back which is why private polling indicates the Yes vote is increasing.
ReplyDeleteYes, I know she's not that dim, PP.
DeleteShe quite simply couldn't be.
Unfortunately, she's probably right. A lot of people look at a headline, and believe it.
Jackie Baillie is similarly acting dim over the help that the government is giving councils to alleviate the effects of the Bedroom tax, which, it never hurts to remind them, Labour originated.
She ignores what she MUST know, that the government is constrained by Westminster law. It has given the maximum allowed. To give more might mean that the power to assisted could be repatriated to her beloved London, and Scottish people would be thrown on the street like is happening in England.
She demands that the government enact legislation forbidding councils to evict non payers, which of course would give people carte blanche to stop paying whether or not they could afford to, and those who find it difficult to pay for other reasons would demand that they be given equal rights.
Councils already have the right to use discretion.
All Baillie is doing is stirring up trouble for political reasons.
If Labour didn't want to see people evicted they could
a) not have passed the law in the first place
b) supported the SNP/Plaid debate
c) supported their own debate
d) instruct their councils to use the discretion they have not to evict.
What have they done instead?
Blamed the SNP.
Smart politicking.
I suspect that she is not that stupid; on the contrary, she probably understands the situation perfectly well. However, she is counting on a sufficient percentage of people being sufficiently ill-informed that they will take her remarks at face value, and on the media not exposing the fallacy that lies behind what she says.
ReplyDeleteI could forgive a politician for stupidity, but not for mendacity or hypocrisy, neither of which is in short supply in any of the Unionist parties.
Scaraben
PS I do appreciate that you may have been just a little bit ironic in your article :-)
Irony? Moi?
DeleteLOL I know Scaraben.
I never cease to be amazed at the number of reasonably intelligent people, including my brother, who believes the crap that these people come up with, because they realise that the bulk of people in this country see politics as deadly dull, and think of it as the most corrupt game in town... which it is not. Banks are far more corrupt.
Is she casting to be a hamster in a Disney film?
ReplyDeleteIf she is, she'll probably get it. Best for her really. She's certainly not cut out to be a politician.
DeleteShe has a degree!
ReplyDeleteTile grouting, I think
Deleteshe has an opinion? does Dave know?
ReplyDeleteNO. He chose her because she was rnew, naive and utterly obedient to his every wish...
ReplyDeleteShe was perfect.
If he finds out we may get Jackson Carlaw, or Carlaw Jackson, which ever is the right way round...I can never remember.