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The route to success

• Brian Taylor
• 19 Mar 07, 02:33 PM

(And first鈥︹�︹�� sport. Hearts 0 鈥� Dundee United 4. Yes, I know that鈥檚 got nothing to do with politics, I just like seeing the score in print. You might carp, you might criticise and you might even call my attitude 鈥渁bsurd鈥� or perhaps 鈥渟elf-indulgent鈥�. Fair play to you, if you do.)

However, I bet Labour wishes the Prime Minister Tony Blair had chosen other words to criticise Sir George Mathewson鈥檚 support for the SNP. Regarding independence, Sir George may be right, he may be wrong. But his choice isn鈥檛 鈥渁bsurd鈥�, nor is he indulging himself.

But onwards, onwards. The Scottish National Party has now set out a programme for its first 100 days in power. It includes cutting primary school class sizes, making health care local and setting out plans for an eventual independence referendum and demanding that Westminster gives Scotland control over North Sea Oil. Oh, and by the way, you鈥檒l have had your Trident. Read my lips, says Alex Salmond, Scotland says No to nuclear weapons.

Now there are three ways to read this stuff.

Route one - today Labour is setting out the 鈥渃ost and chaos鈥� which would ensue. The chaos would be constitutional wrangling with Westminster. The cost? SNP plans for local income tax to replace council tax plus, it鈥檚 said, the burden of their expensive policies.

Route two - to see this as akin to Trotskyite impossibilism. Make demands that the existing State can鈥檛 possibly concede 鈥� then demand the overthrow of that State when it refuses.

Route three - is that Mr A. Salmond positively welcomes a row over what the SNP might do in power. It means people are accepting that it might well happen and he wants the debate to be about him, in power.

My thoughts? Well, route one is a choice for the voters. Route two? There鈥檚 a touch of that, certainly - make the case for independence by highlighting present obstacles. Route three? Definitely. To borrow a Scots quote which Mr Salmond is fond of using: 鈥淭he mair they talk aboot me, the better I鈥檓 kent.鈥�

(And finally, that score from Tynecastle again. Heart of Midlothian 0 鈥� Dundee United 4.)

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