LIKE TAKING CANDY FROM A BABY

Since posting two articles, one from the Sunday Mail and another this morning from the Daily Record I have been subject to a torrent of anger, indignation and (the usual) abuse. This is now the kind of reaction to which I have become accustomed since I began posting what have been described as 'anti-SNP' articles over the last month or so.

Before that practically all my articles were in praise of the SNP. Not because I was ever that star-struck by the SNP but as my contribution to giving solidarity to them and Indy. It was for the same reason I joined the SNP in September 2014. Indy was always the driving motive, not party politics.

I admired Alex Salmond for having had the courage to deliver a referendum when support for Indy was around 28%. With the tremendous support he received from a vibrant Yes Movement that support rose to 45% and 50% at GE2015. Credit for that success and the 56 SNP MPs returned to WM must go to Alex and all those thousands of hardworking, committed patriots in the Yes Movement.

But the day after Indyref1 the Yes Movement was shut down and soon forgotten about. Meanwhile all the kudos for the Yes Movement's efforts shifted to the SNP. Since then we have seen a new leader, Nicola Sturgeon, treat Independence like a bargaining chip, something to duck and dive with and where the goalposts keep being shifted: first it was about EU membership, that was changed to Single Market membership. And now, after the SNP's heavy political losses, it looks very much that Indyref2 is going to be 'parked', 'kicked in the long grass' from which it'll never be retrieved.

My reason for posting the two articles were because they are very much in line with what we have been hearing from senior SNP figures (Swinney, Blackford and Sheppard) over the last week. If the UK were to go for a 'soft' Brexit and stay in the Single Market there would be no reason for Indyref2. End of.

Now what we hear is that while Indyref2 is 'parked' indefinitely Our Leader is going to concentrate on Brexit negotiations. What this really means, when all her initiatives are studiously ignored by the Tories, is anyone's guess. Anything could happen. Jeremy Corbyn could well be the new PM with a more conciliatory approach to Scotland. Who knows?

But to dilute the SNP's constitutional commitment from fighting for Indy in every election to a referendum, and then to further dilute that referendum twice more before finally putting even that into suspended animation is ...

The politics of expediency? Fudge and mudge? Dodging the issue? Take your choice. Whatever has brought Our Leader to this one thing is clear: to play fast and loose with a mandate given to her by our sovereign Parliament is grossly irresponsible and a dereliction of her position as Party leader as well as FM. Despite all her claims to act on behalf of the country the decision to dispose of Indyref2 in this way is about her party's electoral losses and has nothing to do with the aspirations of Scots for freedom.

To do this to us all is an act of irresponsibility and cowardice. It is also a great betrayal.

Although I could see this coming I still feel sick in the pit of my stomach. The shock this will cause in so many of us who put our trust in the SNP and its leadership will take time to play out. Some will cling to straws and refuse to accept the truth, reacting in anger and disbelief. How could this happen?

In the coming weeks we will read all manner of articles attempting to analyse and rationalise. But one thing to me is clear: those of us who will not so easily give up on Independence and who want to see the revival of a popular Indy Movement must never again make the mistake of entrusting the future of our country to any one political party or leader. We are learning the bitter lesson of what happened when we did.