#indyref Myths

Myth #1 - Vote Yes to get rid of Trident 

Wrong! If Scotland leaves the UK it would be the 2016 parliament that decides what could happen to Faslane and the 6000 Scots who work there. Although Trident is a hot topic within the SNP, there is no real evidence that Scots like/dislike it less than the rest of the UK. If the submarines were to leave, it could take decades and then the site would then have to be made safe at an "enormous" cost. But don't worry, anonymous sources within the SNP have said keeping "Trident on the Clyde will be price of keeping the pound".

At the same time as negotiating the removal of the submarines, the Scottish Government will be negotiating membership on the NATO and its policy of "Nuclear Sharing" and "Nuclear First Strike". Salmond's plan is that an independent Scotland would allow submarines and warships armed with nuclear weapons from the US, Britain and other Nato countries to dock in its ports. Indeed, he has also said he'd welcome the USA establishing bases in Scotland.)

When all this is happing Scotland will be seeking a site to store its long-term nuclear waste (from power plants the SNP Gov have used beyond their design life - "sweating").
Clear? 

Myth #2 - Indyref is not about the SNP.

We know that #YesScotland is dominated by the SNP in terms of staff and funding. No other party has given money to #YesScotland - in fact, they benefit from the extra exposure #YesScot gives them.

Nonetheless, this tweet from the SSP shows us two things:

• For #YesScotland, #indyref is about Salmond v Cameron, or perhaps SNP v the Tories.
• SSP have forgotten they are socialists. Take a look at the SNP policies SSP are keen to protect - none help the poorest Scots. For example, the Council Tax Freeze has given the wealthiest Scots £2.5b and is funded by cutting services to the poorest in society.  

Myth #3 - A Yes vote mean saying goodbye to the Tories!

Now the first thing to remember is that quite a lot of people in Scotland vote Tory. It is like masturbation: a lot of people do it, but only a few admit to it! The image below shows that at the last General Election the Tories, the SNP & the Lib-Dems all had about the same vote share.

So why all the fuss about the Tories then? The answer is simple: the SNP need Labour voters on their side if they are to win #indyref.  It was not always like this. Indeed, in the 2007-11 parliament the SNP relied on Tory support to pass each of its budgets. This is because, there is a synergy between the "conservative" polices both SNP and the Tories aspire to. Ruth Davidson on SNP voters: "A significant proportion of them have voted Conservative in the past, the Tartan Tories that exist within the SNP as they call them". The key to Salmond's success has been is ability to dress up his regressive polices as something which benefit the working class. Some would call it dishonest.