To be clear - my primary message in Mid-Scotland and Fife is going to be this:
1. Vote SNP on the constituency ballot. 2. In each household place one vote to Alba and One to me as an independent.
So if there are 4 in a house. Thats 2 to ALBA and two to myself.
With a large enough swing of Yes Voters in Fife. That's more than enough to ensure the election of me and multiple ALBA candidates.
It's a strategy that while meaning I am standing in Mid-Scotland and Fife and so are alba, if yes supporters in the region step up to the plate - it will MAXtheYES.
And it will also protect the Peoples Action.
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Just reading the documents for the #PeoplesAS30. The Lord Advocate actually says, and I quote:
"The pursuer contends that the Scottish Government has given an "undertaking that it will introduce and promote it as Government Bill before the next Scottish Parliament" and that this undertaking constitutes an enforceable legal promise.
"The document contains no such undertaking; nor could the present Scottish Government bind the Government to be formed after the forthcoming general election."
For 22 years, politicians have failed to answer a simple question. When 10,000 ordinary people sought to have it answered, they proclaimed that only politicians should be allowed to answer the question they have failed to.
We live in a nation where the people are supposed to be sovereign. The literal definition of sovereignty is "where power is derived". Telling 10,000 people and their representative you don't have the right to ask a simple question about your own country is not respect...
...for that sovereignty. It's a statement that you believe yourself to be above the peoples right to ask questions - that's just a fact.
But then to use the tax base of those same people to waste time, money and energy...
Politicians make promises and often they break them. I don't. I made a promise to do everything I possibly can to protect the peoples action and to push for the voices of the 10,000 who backed it.
It's extremely easy to criticise when you're not in full possession of the facts, and trust me, if you were, your hair would probably curly. I've asked people to give me a better option. They haven't. I therefore must take the least bad option to try and protect the case.
I do note, however, that those who have used the case for electoral advantage over the past year seem deafly silent on this and have also failed to come up with an alternative. Or should I say have avoided doing so. Go figure.
My announcement today has annoyed people - and I want to be upfront and tell you I understand completely. I also want to be upfront and tell you it is that I tried and failed to find a win win option.
The only thing I could do, and which seems to be a recurring theme in the UK, is to select the least bad option.
There are those who will rightly say that my standing as an independent betrays the fact that AFI stood down or ISP stood down. And for some part of that, you're probably right. But when push comes to shove. My first promise was to the 10,000 backers of the #peoplesas30.
If there's one thing the peoples' action has taught me, it is that if you leave it to politicians, you'll be waiting 20 years for an answer and still not get one.
Then if you try to get that answer for yourself, you'll end up being told it's not for the people to ask reasonable questions of law about their parliament that politicians have continuously failed to answer.
Simultaneously, you'll be told that politicians love a good mandate - So that's what I am doing.
To be clear - i'm signalling my intention, if elected to stand as presiding officer of the Scottish Parliament. I'm doing it now to make clear my intent. An independent as PO means nobody from any yes party giving up their membership to become an independent to be PO.
That means no lost votes on the floor of parliament.
Secondly, and some might disagree, but I feel I have proven I can walk the fine line down the middle of party politics.
Thirdly, let's face it, that skill will come in handy because my impression is that parliament is definitely going to need a referee. And better it be a yesser than a unionist.