Salmond's list of enemies grows longer by the day
Despite the SNP's attempts to silence its critics, the First Minister's claims about separation are gradually being demolished
Many more members were added yesterday to the “Grand Conspiracy” that Alex Salmond reckons has been put together by David Cameron to stymie his plans to break up Britain.
Following all of the banks, most of the finance houses, many of the supermarkets, foreign leaders – including the Pope, President Obama and Australia’s Tony Abbott – all saying that for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom wouldn’t be an altogether good idea — and that’s putting it at its mildest — another bunch of people joined the queue last night.
They were a disparate group and included a brass hat full of generals and other senior servicemen, an “opinion” of economists, the daughter of the rector at Alex Salmond’s secondary school, a senior medical academic and a man whose companies have clocked up £1?billion from North Sea oil and gas.
There may well be others but that’s not bad for starters. The soldiers, sailors and airmen say: “As former members of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force who are proud to call Scotland our home, we passionately believe that the people of Scotland will be stronger and more secure if we remain part of the United Kingdom.” They are joined by a total of 400 servicemen of all ranks who all subscribe to that view.
Then we had 13 economists saying that independence would be gambling “with the economic prospects of the present generation of those living in the great country of Scotland and the generations to follow. As experienced and respected economists we would urge you to vote NO on the 18th of September …”
Fiona Scott felt compelled to speak out against Mr Salmond because she had heard that the SNP leader has been speaking of the influence her late father, the First Minister’s one-time school headmaster, had had on him. “He would be appalled at what is happening across our country, “ said Mrs Scott.
Dr Richard Weller, a senior lecturer in dermatology, warned of the impact breaking away from the UK would have on research funding, saying: “Across the university sector, Scotland is hugely successful and ranked first in the world in terms of research impact by GDP. All of this is at risk with the uncertainties of a move to independence.”
And Sir Ian Wood, whose bona fides and expertise have been seriously challenged by leading nationalists in recent weeks after he produced some dire forecasts about future oil and gas revenues, has returned to the fray. In a devastating attack on Alex Salmond’s “misinformation and spin” Sir Ian repeated his view that the oil was running out and that it would deliver nothing like the amount of revenue for an independent Scotland that’s been claimed by Mr Salmond.
He said he was shocked that the nationalists’ “fervour” for independence and anti-British sentiment was blinding them to the consequences.
These are all serious people, free-thinking individuals who are not easily brow-beaten and their views cannot be glibly swatted aside by Mr Salmond and his fellow Nat leaders, as those of people who could be easily led by the nose and made to say things they don’t believe.
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www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11098298/Salmonds-list-of-enemies-grows-longer-by-the-day.html